Maurice Wilkes Building
18 september 2020
Buildings which endure
Enlightenment and education helped Cambridge master many crises through the centuries. This is made evident by the abundant number of historic walls belonging to colleges and university buildings; their sandstone or brick façades dominate the cityscape. St. John's Innovation Park continues this longstanding architectural tradition. In terms of design, however, the contemporary office and research buildings differ from the historic city centre, at least at first glance. The architects opted for a practical skeleton construction in concrete for the new Maurice Wilkes building. They designed a central staircase and functional core set between flexible open plan office space on both sides and a light ALUCOBOND® façade. In line with the historical original buildings, the architecture delights in projections and recesses, in the symmetry of the building, in vertically set elements and columns, central axes and entrances and in striking building heights. Unlike in the past, this is not just for ornamentation or for structural purposes, but to enhance the functionality of spaces and the building’s potential to create its own shade. This results in the best possible use of space, agreeable room temperatures and, at the same time, maximises daylight. The screw-fastened ALUCOBOND® tray panels in Silver Metallic and Bronze Metallic reference the warm colours found in the old buildings but add a contemporary twist by adding a discreet shimmer. The ALUCOBOND® elements are large-format and very thin, but since they offer excellent flexural rigidity, they also envelop building elements without being bulky. The window bands, designed in relief, and the large-format façade panels appear delicate and refined, as if they were carved in stone. Technically, the building sets standards with a BREEAM rating of "very good". That rating does not only include energy efficiency, but also the entire building cycle: from responsible practices on the construction site and sustainable social, economic and operating factors, to recycling the building materials. Recycling is likely to be at some very distant point in the future, of course. Because, it is well known that buildings in Cambridge endure.
Project: Maurice Wilkes Building, Milton | United Kingdom
Architect: BCR Infinity Architects | United Kingdom
Fabricator: Argonaut | United Kingdom
Installer: Middlesex Ltd | United Kingdom
Façade System: Tray Panels screwed
Year of Construction: 2018
Product: ALUCOBOND® PLUS metallic colours |
Silver Metallic 500 & Bronze Metallic 504
Photos: BCR Infinity Architects