A business park for the future; one which is integrated with the city and the people that live there.
Strategy
Watford Business Park is a major strategic industrial area of approximately 30 hectares, and employs in the region of 1,000 people. However, a significant proportion of the existing built stock was over 50 years old and deteriorating. Watford Borough Council and the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership recognised that without an innovative and forward thinking development, the business park will fail to attract new enterprises, as well risk deteriorating further and losing employment opportunities for the borough.
Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership
In order to turn around the fortunes of the declining estate, the council appointed Studio Egret West to craft a vision for Faraday Close, which sits as the gateway site into Watford Business Park. Our work sees a new approach to physical organisation, which along with a programme of uses that are not limited to inward facing operations, help to create a business park for the future; one which is integrated with the city and the people that live there.
In bringing together the plans for Faraday Close, we have worked as urban designers, architects and landscape architects to establish a series of design principles which underpin the architectural approach, as well as the ambitions for a wider site framework which can be delivered in the future. Our designs include circa 7,100m2 of modern, flexible business units tht are targeted at small and medium sized business within the film, TV, life sciences and manufacturing sectors, and which will help shape the place to become a key catalyst in reinforcing Watford Business Park’s status as a strategic industrial area and support the growth of emerging and established industries in the region.
The façades are built up in a series of layers, and function as a kit of parts. An overarching grid combines polycarbonate, expanded metal, and solid aluminium panels, with openings for loading bays and pedestrian doors also unified through this grid. Larger areas of polycarbonate celebrate the timber structural frame and provide slightly obscured views in and out of the buildings.
Internally, the mezzanine levels use plywood, which adds a warm, textural quality, whilst also being more sustainable than a standard plasterboard finish, and requires little maintenance. Accompanying the plywood structure are servicing elements (pipes and cables) and barriers which protect the structure from collision and industrial activities. These are detailed in a manner which has been considered aesthetically whilst also meeting practical, functional requirements.
Sustainability
With sustainability in mind, we worked closely with our engineers to develop a glue laminated timber, or ‘glulam’ structure for the modules. Glulam has far less embodied energy than its steel counterpart (approx. 2.5x less), and its ability to be constructed off site allows for a high quality finish, economic efficiency, a shorter construction programme, as well as reduced noise pollution, dust and waste on site.
The structures can readily adapt to plot size and phasing requirements, with a freestanding footprint providing space on all four sides for additional openings to enable an office or retail unit use if required.
Team
