Country: United Kingdom
Key Area: Buildings
Services: Civil Engineering,Geotechnical Engineering,Structural Engineering

The building design uses the characteristics of the site, a narrow strip of land adjacent to the river and in close proximity to the city centre to create a landmark building, which through its transparency by the use of glass and its ‘flying roof’ structure, will create an iconic environment that encourages interaction between the interior and the exterior.

The building will be an example of sustainability and urban regeneration. To achieve this, two distinct goals were set by the client: a BREEAM rating of excellence, and a carbon reduction of ten-percent below the current UK building regulations.

These targets will be achieved through the careful selection of building materials and a reduction in the need for energy through a number of efficiency measures. Opus has been working collaboratively with the client, the architectural design team (BDP) and the contractor (HGB construction), providing civil, structural, geotechnical and hydrological advice on the many challenges that had to be overcome prior to the development of the site and the commencement of construction.

The site has a legacy of contamination, buried obstructions and river wall supports which have shaped the remediation and foundation strategy for the new building.  In addition to the ground conditions, the river corridor is protected under an environmental covenant as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area for Conservation (SAC).

As the River Usk has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world it was necessary to ensure the building was set at a level that would not be affected by the tide. A dynamic flood model was used to determine the level and duration of tidal flooding, with the building threshold set above this level.

Opus worked closely with the design team to ensure that the reinforced concrete structure contributes to the acoustic and thermal performance of the building. The flat slab structure allows free zones for the routing of services around the building. The structure was analysed in a threedimensional model with a finite element analysis of the floor plates.

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