The Forum Project, Southend-on-Sea

The Concrete Centre
Aug 4th 2014, 16:32

About this course

Part of the Concrete Elegance series produced by The Building Centre and The Concrete Centre.

The building form responds to its urban context - along Elmer Avenue precast concrete panels fold out from the facade to provide solar shading, creating a strong two-storey high element. The elevation to the new public square on the other side has a much grander civic presence - here the glazing is interspersed with precast concrete cladding panels at first and second floor levels. Internally the main staircase and atrium is framed by tall, sheer exposed concrete walls, that create a naturally lit focal space.The 200-seat lecture theatre is contained within a curved concrete board marked walls. Concrete soffits and walls provide high thermal mass to absorb heat during the day, with generous floor-to-floor heights. The photovoltaics, the ground source heating and cooling, and the exposed concrete have helped the project achieve a BREEAM “Excellent”.

Presentation by: Roger FitzGerald, ADP Architects.