15 FootprintFebruary 2015www.faulknerbrowns.co.uk

04 The Focus on Student Experience06 Transformational Teaching07 Velodromes Legacy08 Velo2Velo09 Velodrome Innovation

10 The Future of Velodromes11 A wider look at Sustainability12 Retail Futures14 Innovation and Technology

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Introduction

2014 was a year of ‘ups’, with most of the downs experienced by the riders during the Velo2Velo charity cycle ride which FaulknerBrowns hosted in September. The ride started at the National Cycling Centre, which we designed twenty years ago for Manchester City Council, and ended at Derby Arena, recently completed for Derby City Council. With a velodrome recently completed in Toronto, to be used for the 2015 Pan American Games, and another about to go on site in Edmonton, our work in the sports sector continues to go from strength to strength both within the UK and abroad. One of the highlights of the year was the award of ‘Best of the Best’ by the British Council for Offices – the pinnacle of office design – for Number One Riverside, the new civic offices for Rochdale Borough Council. We have been delighted at the number of clients who have visited the building and the accolades received from across the industry. Our portfolio of work within the retail sector has taken a huge boost with commissions across the UK and Europe, bringing with them the challenge of how to attract, retain and entertain shoppers in our internet-focussed lives.

With the cap on student numbers to be removed in 2015, universities continue to compete for both home and international students. This has created a demand for innovative ideas in the provision of teaching, social and residential accommodation, from both universities and the private sector.

Whilst FaulknerBrowns has had a steady stream of commissions from France since 2002, we have recently seen increased activity in mixed-use leisure and retail projects, and are looking forward to moving ahead with several of these in the new year. It has been an interesting and challenging year for us, one in which we have seen positive growth in a number of sectors and can finally believe that the difficult years of recession are finally over. The following pages highlight some of the research and development in which we have been involved and which assists us in achieving recognition for the quality of the buildings which we design. We look forward to working with you in 2015.

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The Ghost Peloton: An arts installation May 2014 to mark the

countdown to the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in Yorkshire

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FaulknerBrowns are working with a number of UK universities and private providers to develop innovative new facilities for living and learning which respond to big changes in the higher education marketplace The higher education sector is undergoing significant changes and universities are developing their estates to respond to a new and consistent theme: the ‘Student Experience’. The introduction of university course fees has raised expectations and increased the awareness of the need to deliver value for money across all student facilities.

The imminent lifting of HEFCE’s cap on home and EU student numbers is likely to further enhance this ‘flight to quality’ and will increase competition at every level of academic achievement. With little variation in fees across the sector, universities will have to differentiate themselves through the quality of the facilities they offer.

Students are demanding more open access to more flexible learning facilities, over longer hours. Many of our current projects are driven by the imperative to enhance facilities for learning.

The Focus on Student ExperienceWhy, what is it and what does it mean for future facilities?

The new student village at St. Mary’s, Bangor University, which FaulknerBrowns are delivering with Cityheart and Vinci Construction will provide 500 residential bedrooms with social and amenity spaces housed within new and refurbished Victorian college buildings

Left: Newcastle University Union Society was recently redeveloped to replace outdated and poorly configured social, retail and office facilities with a true focal point for student life. Facilities for welfare, engagement and participation take centre stage, and are supported by flexible learning space and high quality catering.

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Right/Below: The Student Bedroom of Tomorrow concept, developed by FaulknerBrowns in partnership with CRM Students, seeks to deliver maximum value from a typical bedroom module, increasing usable floor space and incorporating the potential for group working and enhanced IT connectivity

Above: FaulknerBrowns competition submission for 500 new student residential units at the University of Hull seeks to create a strong social infrastructure through the creation of study and social spaces clustered around active circulation areas, creating a strong ‘collegiate’ identity and maximising community cohesion.

The last few years have also seen increasing commercial investment in student accommodation. No longer a ‘niche’ investment, student residences now represent a mature asset class in their own right. More providers are competing for business and larger, more established operators are starting to apply strong brands which focus on ‘adding value’.

These enhancements are matched by demands for higher quality, on-campus social facilities. Students are swapping the sticky floors of the traditional Union Bar for a more holistic life experience of extra-curricular societies, volunteering and value-adding work placements. A healthier lifestyle is a consistent theme, with institutions re-designing their services to support this choice. Space for sport is critical.

Across the higher education sector, the focus on the ‘student experience’ is driving significant changes in student living and learning, and high quality facilities will be essential to meet these demands. As designers with a long history in higher education, these are exciting times.

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Following the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme in 2009, budgets were cut by 30% and with them the expectation for ‘transformational teaching’. The first schools to be procured under this programme are now emerging and typically are cheap and cheerless with little ambition or context.

In contrast, at Telford, FaulknerBrowns are delivering six schools with a capital cost of £80 million and the first of them at Ercall Wood Technology College opened in September 2014.

Working with Shepherd Construction we developed a standard design approach which we termed Systems/Spaces/Models: modular space planning within a regular three dimensional grid adapted to each school’s brief, within a bespoke external envelope which responds to each school’s context. Simple economical buildings below budget and then reinvesting the balance to enhance the learning environment and experience.

All the designs feature an exciting social heart space and open learning spaces over three levels, connected by a processional ‘Hellerup’ stair.

Our Telford schools batch demonstrates that it is possible to deliver standardised designs which respond to each school’s specific brief and context within the Education Funding Agency’s strict cost limits…but most importantly of all, create truly inspiring spaces for teaching and learning.

Transformational TeachingCreating inspirational education environments within Education Funding Agency cost limits

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Below: Social heart space at Holy Trinity Academy and Ercall Wood Technology College

Above: Open learning Left: Simple cost effective buildings

The National Cycling Centre in Manchester is of great significance to the practice. Not only was it the first indoor velodrome in the UK, it was twenty years old in September 2014 and remains one of the most successful velodromes in the world. The Centre has been the bedrock of British cycling success over this period and we have continued to build on, and develop, our expertise in the field of velodrome design from this milestone project. In the last fifteen years, we have designed eight and completed four cycling centres – Manchester, Apeldoorn, Toronto (for the Pan American Games 2015) and Derby (completed in September 2014) - with another at an advanced design stage in Edmonton, Canada.

The National Cycling Centre in Manchester is the home of British Cycling. The building’s role in establishing the reputation of British Cycling, training and developing some of the world’s greatest cyclists and increasing the UK’s medal tally over the last twenty years, cannot be underestimated.As a competition venue, it was the focus for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and staged the World Track Championships in the same year. More recently, it was the training camp for TeamGB at the London 2012 Olympic Games and has hosted many World Championships and seen many world records broken.

Omnisportscentrum is the Dutch National Centre for indoor athletics, cycling and volleyball which opened in November 2008. The Dutch Athletics Federation and the Dutch Cycling Federation designated the complex as an international events venue and hosted the World Track Championships in 2011.

Velodromes LegacyCelebrating 20 years of FaulknerBrowns first completed velodrome

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HallsBelfast, IrelandLondon 2012 Competition Entry Roubaix, France

Local cycle club numbers increased by 10% after opening

Above: Velodrome designs from the last 5 years

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In September 2014, FaulknerBrowns hosted a ‘Velo2Velo’ cycle ride in which 76 clients and staff participated. News of the event created a lot of interest and seemed to have tapped a nerve across our entire client base.

There are few places in the world where two velodromes are within a ‘sensible’ days cycle ride from each other, let alone designed by the same architect. Add in some of the country’s most beautiful scenery between the two and the idea of a cycle ride between them was something of a no-brainer. We felt it was a great opportunity to share the experience with clients and friends of the office. The day was a huge success, with only one minor accident and, as an added bonus, we raised £2,000 for GetKidsGoing, a charity established to assist children with disabilities into sport.

The route offered stunning views of The Derbyshire Peak District

Our Velo2Velo charity ride was a great success and raised £2000 for charity

Photographs from the velo2velo event

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Approach - FaulknerBrowns’ approach to velodrome design development is to combine a scientific analysis of a project’s requirements with a research-based knowledge of the building-type. Given that there are many seemingly conflicting requirements for velodrome design – for example, accessibility for athletes versus spectators’ entry, officials and media - this has given us a sound basis for achieving a client’s requirements as the design progresses through the various design development stages. We monitor design progress at key design stages to ensure that the criteria identified at the outset of the project, in detailed discussions with the client and all stakeholders are being met.

Benchmarking - We have an in-depth knowledge of velodromes throughout the world gained through the research visits undertaken and our detailed understanding of how they work – this understanding being achieved through working with the cyclists who use these buildings, the managers who operate them and having visited them as spectators. We do not rest on our laurels, but continually research and innovate to create designs which are inherently flexible, successful and which meet our clients’ objectives and aspirations.

Velodrome InnovationOur Approach and Benchmarking

Derby Arena Concept Sketch

Fully dropped infield - provides much better ground floor access

1.2m Dropped infield - the UCI default ‘standard’ approach

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Derby Arena is a significant milestone in velodrome design. This innovative facility has its cycle track at first floor level, above the main entrance and cafe - and with a ‘fully dropped’ infield resembling a traditional sports hall at ground level, which will accommodate badminton, basketball, netball and volleyball.

The entrance and ticketing lobby leads directly into the sports hall and provides unparalleled views over the sports and cycling activities within the centre. The direct visual connections with the cycling activities provide an exciting opportunity to observe the sports from the main entrance and café.

The emphasis of this building is to provide a 250m cycling track within a truly multi-functional sports arena which is capable of being used for many sports, community, social and other types of events. The Arena is an intrinsic part of Derby City Council’s £50 million Leisure Strategy for the upgrade and re-provision of existing leisure facilities. The Arena forms an exciting part of this Strategy, catering for a variety of sporting events with added ability to house spectator stage events. With a capacity of 5,000 spectators, the Arena is constructed over three storeys with a total floor area of 14,570m2.

The arena also incorporates a large health and fitness club with associated studios and multi-function rooms providing spaces for dance, martial arts, club meetings and, notably, corporate hospitality and additional support space for officials and commissionaires during sporting events.

The Future of VelodromesCelebrating the opening of our latest velodrome in Derby

Community Recreation Centre, Edmonton - FaulknerBrowns Architects, in association with Canadian architects Hughes Condon Marler Architects (HCMA) from Vancouver and Dub Architects from Edmonton, have collaborated on design proposals for a community recreation centre with an indoor cycle track for the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada.

The key challenge was to integrate a large indoor community facility into a much-loved and well-used park, linking to the seminal 1960s catenary roofed 50m pool building. By lifting the track, we have created a strong connection to the park with key vistas to external features.

Edmonton Community Recreation Centre

Toronto Velodrome

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Sustainability in its true wider sense has long been at the heart of our key design values. Social, financial AND environmental are inseparable issues as part of our architectural agenda. They are all intertwined, but we acknowledge that there may be a different emphasis on a project by project basis.

Whilst a true understanding of carbon is still gaining currency, most clients can identify with energy as a key resource to manage, not least of which is the significant financial implication, let alone environmental considerations.

Sports and leisure buildings are a particular challenge in this respect. Many leisure facilities have a water-based field of play at a temperature significantly at odds with ambient outside temperatures - ice rinks, snowdomes and swimming pools all require energy consumptions of typically four times that of many building types per square metre.

We continually strive to reduce energy consumption in our design proposals, working with innovative engineers such as Transolar and are currently exploring how Passivhaus methodology can be applied to the sports sector with its increased airtightness and insulation strategies.

We believe, however, that the key issue is to look at energy in the context of energy usage per visit. This results in both reducing energy and high (popular) intensity of use. We refer to this as the ‘hairdryer scale’ as it gives a tangible, meaningful comparison for our clients across different projects and building types and, for us, a truer reflection of successful sustainable facilities.

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Right: Nieuw Vennep Sport Centrum

Below: The ‘hairdryer scale’ comparing the energy usage per visit/person of different types of sports building.

Nieuw Vennep Sport Centrum Pool Hall Nieuw Vennep Sport Centrum Section

1 Sedum Roof 2 Solar Controlled Glazing 3 Solar Panels 4 PV Cells 5 Northlight Glazing

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Retail FuturesCreating an Experience

It has become increasingly evident that shopping habits have changed and customers expectations have shifted from simply browsing and buying to a desire to be entertained and immersed in brands that mirror individual lifestyle ideals. Retail habits are evolving and shopping is a leisure experience that forms part of an individual’s projected identity.

In 1960 North America, Victor Grueon pioneered his vision for the suburban shopping mall creating a new format shopping place. The controlled mall aspired to satisfy all the needs and desires of the ‘auto-mobile’ modern shopper. This typology has not significantly changed over the last 40years, and our landscapes are peppered with similar indistinguishable malls. How will these places continue to attract customers in the future?

The Internet has fundamentally changed our retail landscapes; virtually anything can be purchased remotely. Responsive retailers have adapted their brick and mortar outlets to provide a brand-focused experience. Apple has done this with precision. They deliver brand immersion by ‘designing’ stores that reflect the company image, inviting customers to experience the potential of the product and engaging with in-store specialists. Customers are both educated and entertained and brand loyalty is nurtured along the way. The Apple store is not a shop - it is an interactive leisure experience.

The strategy of selling products through experiential brand submersion is increasingly evident at ‘Bread and Butter’ in Berlin where, during Fashion Week, the world’s leading independent brands gather to sell to retail buyers. The format was a 600,000 sqft ‘pop-up market’ brimming with experience-focused brand promotions. Sales strategies have shifted markedly from product viewings to product experiences.

Focused Brand Immersion

Layered Leisure Experience

Virtual Real

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Above: The unchanging shopping centre, from Victor Grueons vision to Bluewater the evolution of our shopping places has stalled.

Below: Experience focused brand promotions at Bread and Butter Fashion Week, Berlin

1960 Mall 1999 Mall

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Over the past months, we have speculated about the affect that changing customer expectations will have on the type and format of the places in which we shop. Brands are evolving to sell through multi-channel interactive experiences. In the physical marketplace, shopping environments evolve to provide interactive leisure experiences that capture visitor’s attention and time.

FaulknerBrowns innovative concepts brought these ideas to the commercial leisure marketplace during the 90’s with the Xscape projects. We have long recognized that by bringing diverse uses together with a connecting synergy, footfalls are maximised and dwell times extended. This strategy has been used to great affect at Xscape Braehead where shops, cafés and leisure activities are ‘mashed-up’ to create a three-dimensional, engaging, visually-arresting space in which

visitors are encouraged to linger-longer, shop, eat, watch, and/or play.

Our latest mashed-up concept - the ‘Grow Zone’ - brings together food, furniture, fashion and fun in a flexible and carefully elevated format that can respond to seasons and trends. Shops are integrated with a pop-up marketplace, cafés and restaurants that act as furniture and kitchen-wear showrooms. At the upper levels, a working urban farm - where products can be grown, harvested and sold - is integrated with ‘party’ kitchens that are available for visitors in which to host dinner parties, take a cookery lesson with a top chef or trial equipment.

The Grow Zone mash-up is just one of a number of FaulknerBrowns innovative leisure concepts that aims to attract higher footfall and extend dwell-time by providing memorable lifestyle experiences.

Above: Mash-up at Xscape Braehead: Eat, Dwell, Watch, Shop

‘Mash-up’Functions Overlap

Independent Functions

Retail Leisure

Leisure RetailSnow

ShopEat

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GrowZone - Multi-layared lifestyle place

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in storey height vertical modules from a primary steel frame, eliminating any cuts or on-site waste, adopting optimised industry templates and standard sheet sizes for ultimate efficiency. Assuming a thorough eco-sustainable approach to material employment and waste diversion, the SIPS wall system has also been designed to achieve a system u-value of 0.15w/m2K - almost double the performance required by current building regulations, whilst also delivering extremely high levels of air tightness.

Aligned with the prefabricated substrate wall panels, a weathering steel facade system (exploiting and showcasing local skill and craft) has been designed to maximise standard coil and sheet sizes of the most commercially available Cor-ten. The architecture and its materiality were designed as a composite solution - expressing both its visible forces (structural, functional and physical) and its invisible forces (cultural, contextual and commercial) through its form, massing and material expression.

The use of this weathering steel also means that the facade will appear less processed, less commercial, and will allow the building to naturally evolve its character through time. This material selection and composition will further ensure that the facade will not require heavy or constant maintenance - meaning that the lifecycle demands on this community project are reduced from the outset.

Two recent projects which are visually and geometrically different have aimed to devise and shade an envelope sub-structure which aims to pioneer contemporary advancements in prefabricated timber façade technology which harmonises expediency, performance and installation precision alongside cost and programme benefits through construction.

Working within the possibilities and limits of cold formed metal facade technology, the design solution for Hebburn Community Hub was conceived as an optimised and cost effective through-wall system, based on rigorous prefabrication and modularisation principles - reducing time on site and eliminating wet in-situ systems.

The project aimed to capitalise on and reference the industrial heritage and available technologies from the immediate marine and ship building industries, showcasing a bold, yet simple architectural expression.

The building envelope is comprised from a substrate of timber structural insulated panels (SIPS) measuring 1.2mx4.0m high. These panels are hung,

Innovation & Technology Efficiency in design and materials

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Above Left: Typical Cor-ten facade modules - flat vs profiled.

Above Right: Facade through-wall fragment detail aligning sub-substructure modularity and internal expression with external material composition.

Above: Cor-ten structural insulated panels fabrication

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The design for South Shields New Central Library and Digital Media Centre adopts a circular form helping to create a distinctive landmark design that sits adjacent to the historic Market Place and listed Old Town Hall.

The building was conceived with the use of a Timber Structurally Insulated Panel System in mind to provide a cost effective means of cladding the external façade. The panels have a regular, 1.2m wide, radially arrayed module that spans from floor to floor hung off the cast in-situ concrete frame (1). The SIPS module is utilised to provide a rigor to inform an external architectural expression and dictate the size and position of openings through the façade. This co-ordination is further read through to the building’s interior where the openings interface with bespoke curved bookcases that line the inner face of the SIPS panel.

The external façade is clad in materials that have dialogue with the local context and industries of the town. (1) The lower level adopts pre-cast concrete panels whose dimensions are directly related back to that of the SIPS panel behind. (2) An open vertical terracotta baguette system expresses the cylinder at the upper levels and reinforces a dialogue between the new building and its historic sandstone context of the Old Town Hall and St. Hilda’s Chruch. (3) The cladding has a rail system that is fixed directly back to the face of the SIPS panel and the terracotta baguettes are hung to create the building radius.

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FaulknerBrowns LLPDobson HouseNorthumbrian WayKillingworthNewcastle upon TyneNE12 6QW

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SOUTH SHIELDS NEW CENTRALLIBRARY AND DIGITAL MEDIACENTRE

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TENDER 3067 AL(2)12 AA 30/10/14 TERRACOTTA FIXINGS UPDATED. GENERAL UPDATE RJ MB

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Left: External envelope section Below: Perimiter Audio Visual Seating

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FaulknerBrowns LLPDobson HouseNorthumbrian WayKillingworthNewcastle upon TyneNE12 6QW

T +44 (0)191 268 3007F +44 (0)191 247 8132

email@faulknerbrowns.co.ukwww.faulknerbrowns.co.uk

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FaulknerBrowns LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Wales. Registered number OC386918.Registered Office: Dobson House, Northumbrian Way, Killingworth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 6QW