Stoneleigh update

 

TEMPORARY OFFICE MOVE

AHDB relocated its operations and the majority of its office-based staff into temporary offices at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire in summer 2009.

The Board took the decision to move in advance of the availability of permanent offices in order to avoid any prolonged uncertainty about future locations impacting adversely on staff - in terms of morale and staff turnover.

CONSTRUCTION OF MORE PERMANENT OFFICE ACCOMODATION

Planning permission for a more permanent office building was granted by Warwick District Council Planning Committee on 16 February 2010. The project is supported with funding from regional development agency Advantage west Midlands.

Advantage West Midlands Logo

AHDB New Office Building
Single Storey AHDB Office Building

Location

  • In part of the planned Stoneleigh Rural Innovation Park, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire
  • Four acre plot on North West edge of showground
  • Adjacent to NFU headquarters building
  • Views to North and West over open countryside

Planned size

  • Gross internal floor space is 3593m2 = 38,675 sq ft
  • Open-plan office environment suitable for 250 people
  • Additional hot-desk, touch-down areas and project space

Building shape

  • Two sweeping “C” shaped curves intersecting to create a deeper central zone and four wings: two short and two long
  • Two enclosed areas define the entrance forecourt and a cafe bar/amenity area to the West

Facilities

  • Good formal meeting room provision (green shaded area) with plenty of smaller break-out areas
  • Cafe bar for light lunches (blue shaded area) ? doubles as informal meeting area
  • Male and female shower and changing facilities with lockers
  • Smartcard access to office areas
  • External cycle lock-up
  • Car park for 117 cars
  • Spacious, modern toilet facilities centrally located
  • Two secondary entrances for deliveries and for staff

External construction

  • Large windows interspersed with sweet chestnut hardwood panels fixed vertically, sitting above a solid stone plinth
  • A green roof with a top layer of living sedum plant will cover the majority of the roof area
  • Benefits of a green roof:
    • Replaces some habitat (biodiversity) lost to the building footprint
    • Prolongs life of the roof by protecting underlying waterproofing
    • Rainwater retention, reducing storm water run-off rates
    • Increases insulation and a reduces heat loss
  • Rainwater harvesting

    • Some areas of the roof will be without green covering and water will be drained into a rainwater harvesting tank for use in flushing toilets and for landscape irrigation.

  • Roof light tunnels

    A series of lights tunnels with motorised opening vents will boost natural day light levels also be used as part of the natural ventilation system

Energy efficient

The building materials, orientation and design will:

  • Maximise solar gains in winter
  • Minimise heat gains in summer
  • Provide high levels of natural daylight
  • Increase thermal mass through a ‘green’ roof
  • Solar panels will help provide the building’s hot water supply
  • Waste heat from the building will be captured and re-used
  • Overall, the building will have an Energy Performance Rating of A which means it is 64% more efficient than a conventional office

Environmentally friendly

  • Will be constructed to an ecological BREEAM rating of excellent and use a range of renewable technologies to achieve this and to help minimise the running costs of the building
  • Natural, sustainable and locally sourced materials will be used wherever possible
  • CO2 emissions will be about 11.9 kg CO2/m2/yr which is 66% better than Government regulations currently require (35 kg CO2/m2/yr).