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Alba Livingston, Campus, Office Building, Photos, West Lothian Development,
Design
Alba Livingston, West Lothian
Business Incubation Centre, Scotland, by REID architecture
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY BUSINESS INCUBATION CENTRE COMPLETE
23 Aug 2006
REID architecture has just completed a 2,100sqm business incubation
centre on the Alba Campus in Livingston, West Lothian. REID architectures
commitment to an innovative and sustainable approach has created a
project which can be added to the shortlist of UK office and commercial
buildings that use timber structurally. The scheme for Scottish Enterprise
Edinburgh and Lothian will provide a variety of office accommodation
over 2 levels for new and small businesses arranged around communal,
interactive spaces managed by an operator offering business advice
and support. REID architecture have imported products and systems
from the residential and industrial sectors to achieve a more environmentally
conscious, cost efficient solution that challenges the accepted model
without compromising BCO standards for offices.
A glulam timber frame has been used to create the frame for the 2
storey building rather than steel. The glulam timber frame consumes
about one tenth of the energy in its manufacture as would a traditional
steel frame. This is not only a greener solution but the
escalating price of steel has made it an economic solution. It also
gives opportunities for the visual warmth of timber to be exposed
throughout the accommodation.
The use of TGI joist technology for the first floor with plywood sheeting
(as commonly used in residential development) is an eco friendly alternative
to concrete planks or poured slab, again making significant energy
savings in its manufacture. Throughout the project there has been
a drive to employ offsite/ prefabricated solutions in conjunction
with the almost total elimination of wet trades to reduce excessive
on-site waste and improve health & safety of site operatives.
Scottish grown larch cladding is used on the approach elevation with
a distinctive timber eyebrow to the entrance. Again, these
timber clad areas are fixed to an inner leaf of prefabricated insulated
timber panels. The entrance is defined with an angled wall and glass
light box element, once inside you are pulled through with a double
height window and void in which you access the first floor. The white
plasterboard and exposed glulam are satisfyingly clean and simple,
the plan is equally strong, bound by a central spine linking the reception
and advisors zone to the smaller office accommodation.
The offices are accessed along corridor spaces filtered with light
coming through an open grid ceiling, concealing the services above.
Dark floors accentuate the warmth of the glulam and once inside the
office/ meeting rooms you are offered framed views across open fields
to the west and to the tree belt bound edge to the east. The windows
have been sized to avoid cutting of the panels to reduce on-site waste
and are designed to maximise air movement, support the natural ventilation
strategy and allow light deeper into the plan.
Normal roof paraphernalia of gutters and eaves is suppressed to create
a strong and simple rectilinear elevation, animated with the moving
shadow of the expressed rainwater pipes and hoppers.
Elsewhere the elevation is clad in a metal and non-ozone depleting
mineral fibre wool composite panel that is normally found in the industrial
sector. This requires no secondary structure and, at 150mm, offers
benefits on net to gross measurements and speedier erection.
The parking bays have been treated with a Grid-lock system, offering
the high load bearing capacity of asphalt whilst providing an alternative
to hard landscaping. In addition it is both economically viable and
aesthetically pleasing.
Alba Campus - Project Team
Quantity Surveyor Davis Langdon
M&E Engineer KJ Tait
Structural Engineer Woolgar Hunter
Main Contractor Ogilvie
Alba Livingston - information / images from REID architecture 290906
Alba
Livingston
Scottish Office
Livingston Buildings
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Scottish Buildings - Selection
Scottish Ballet, Glasgow

photo : David Morris
Scottish
Ballet building
Glasgow School of Art Competition, Glasgow

image : SHA
Glasgow
School of Art Competition
Scottish Architect Studios

World Architecture : e-architect
- key buildings across the globe
Buildings / photos
for the Alba Livingston page welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk
Alba Campus Livingston: page - adrian welch
/ isabelle lomholt |
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