A new 5000m2 Cumbria County Council office complex for 600 staff was built on the site of a former car park in Botchergate.

The project allows the Council to cut their buildings from 22 to just two by 2018. We were employed by Eric Wright Construction to act as the Civil and Structural Engineers on the project which was completed in January 2016.

The new headquarters are split into two distinct sections, with appropriate structural framing for each. The front section has a contemporary look with single leaf masonry cladding. It is formed of a steel frame with metal deck floors and in-situ concrete slabs.

In the rear block, an exposed soffit in the precast concrete floors has enabled the thermal mass of the concrete to be used for cooling the open plan offices. The design also eliminated the use of downstand beams, allowing the walls to be moved for better space use. Throughout, the ground floor slabs are ground bearing with pad foundations below.

During excavations significant archaeology was discovered, including Roman features and walls. This evaluation necessitated careful treatment of the site and liaison with consulting archaeologists.

Image courtesy of Eric Wright. © David Millington Photography Ltd 2016