William Smith Building Modern Architecture by Pick Everard

Architect Pick Everard has completed an architecture project for British Geological Survey. The site which called William Smith Building is using all natural materials and timber supported TermoDeck system, which is the first of being used in the United Kingdom.

The new William Smith Building takes the form of two three-storey rectilinear wings arranged in an ‘L’ formation with a quarter hemisphere atrium at the knuckle, clad in curving ETFE pillows. The atrium encloses curving stairs leading from open balconies at each floor level down to ground level. The two wings – open plan with a few cellular offices – have stairs and cleaning facilities in a narrow block across each end, with lavatories and kitchens at the inside corner of the north block.

The deployment of a timber frame to support concrete floor panels is an unusual feature of this architecture. At first, the architect was being nervous about the technique, but as the structural engineer, Ramboll Whitbybird, pointed out that it wasn’t structurally any different from a steel or concrete frame, they began to use the glulam timber frame.

TermoDeck is a fan-assisted, energy-efficient HVAC system that makes use of massive thermal panels. These have a number of hollow cores that can be connected together, blocked off, accessed from above and below, and can carry cabling. The temperature of the panels is controlled by the air passing through them.

Client: Natural Environment Research Council/British Geological Survey
Architect: Pick Everard
Main contractor: SOL Construction
Quantity surveyor: Turner and Townsend
Structural engineer: Ramboll Whitbybird
Services engineer: Zisman Bowyer and Partners
Total cost: £6.2 million
Gross external floor area: 1,180m²

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