A further bit of news

Gemma Design have added to their portfolios;

Green Fields Extra Care. Leighton Buzzard

The project comprises the construction of 82 flats in a flagship Extra Care Home divided into 4 Blocks.

Block 1 and Block 3 are 3 storey load bearing masonry buildings with loose steel beams and columns as required where walls do not stack. Overall stability is provided by the cellular nature of the masonry walls at all floors along with precast concrete diaphragm floors and roofs.

Block 2 is a 4 storey predominantly load bearing masonry building with loose steel beams and columns and steel frames as required where walls do not stack. Overall stability is provided by the cellular nature of the masonry walls at all upper floors along with precast concrete diaphragm floors and roofs. At ground a combination of cellular walls and a steel table sway frame provides stability.

Block 4 consists of two single storey steel frames supporting low level grass roof canopy areas and linking Blocks 1 and 2 with communal and dining space for both the residents and public. The steel frames curve on plan and elevation and were analysed utilising a number of methods including CSC Fastrak Building Designer to ensure all effects of the complicated roof were considered.

Through out the project value engineering proposals were considered, offered and in the majority of cases implemented. These included a lighter more economical roof construction; a load bearing masonry form as opposed to a fully RC framed solution which distributed the loads more evenly, which along with the specification of additional site investigation works allowed a traditional spread footing design to be employed. We were also able to get client agreement on revised layouts to enable a higher degree of stacking wall lines and the use of 75mm block work buttress walls for key internal partitions to reduce the number of windposts.