Page\Park building
OPENING OF £5M HQ SIGNALS NEW ERA FOR NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY
Environment Minister to open largest green timber structure in the UK
Day long celebration planned to mark HQ completion including the premiere of a specially commissioned suite by Eddie McGuire performed by the Red Note Ensemble
Photographs by Renzo Mazzolini, received 21/220508
The recently completed headquarters for Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park will be officially opened on the 20th May by Michael Russell MSP, Minister for the Environment. Page \ Park’s appointment was made following a competitive tender and presentation by five short listed teams. The design team, led by Page \ Park comprised Buro Happold, Graven Images, Ian White Associates, and Gardiner Theobald; a unanimous choice selected by the panel. CBC was the principal contractor and Carpenter Oak and Woodland was the specialist subcontractor for the timber frame.
The new Building “Carrochan” provides a central headquarters building for the first National Park in Scotland that covers a region over 720 square miles north, east and west of Balloch. The new building provides flexible workspace for over 120 staff, associated community groups and partner agencies.
The design team has striven to meet the client demands for an affordable, sustainable building that not only sets new standards for offi ce design but one that also affects ways of working, allowing staff to undertake a planned process of change. It is anticipated that the building will help the National Park to adopt new ways of working; the space will primarily function as an administrative centre that becomes an information point and meeting focus for staff and the community at a central hub in the Park.
Caron Tobin, Executive Director of Strategy & Relationships for the Park Authority said: “Our new HQ is a magnificent building in terms of its architectural design and excellent environmental credentials. But it also promises to support our many and varied functions and serve the needs of our staff, board members, partner agencies and organisations and our local community.”
The original concept for the design was clearly influenced by the constraints of the site, the architects have taken advantage of the position on the edge of a roundabout to create a sinuous, curved structure that follows the contours to form a double roofed, two storey building that contains offices, meeting and conference facilities, a cafe, library and public meeting spaces.
A large proportion of the National Park is forest, over 35 %, the Park Authority was anxious that this was refl ected in the use of timber in the building in addition to stone that represents the Highland Boundary which cuts across the Park. Carpenter Oak and Woodland worked closely with the architects at the design stage to create and then implement the barn-like structure that integrates the largest greenwood timber frame constructed in the UK. This frame supports a central glazed roofl ight, that runs though the building giving all the spaces access to natural ventilation and light. The frame is supported by the gigantic two-storey Douglas fir columns and beams. Additional natural materials are used widely throughout the building: natural slate roof finish, Scottish larch cladding on the rear elevation and sheep’s fl eece insulation.
Sustainability was critical for the Park Headquarters; the building is well insulated and constructed to be largely air-tight. The services are designed to be energy effi cient. A biomass boiler, fuelled by woodchips from Argyll is used for heating and hot water. The building is naturally ventilated with automatically opening windows linked to the building management system that regulates the air temperature. To the rear of the building a reed bed area forms part of the sustainable drainage system for the headquarters. The building achieved an Excellent BREEAM Rating of 79% at the design stage, this supported the principal expectation of the National Park that project would be an exemplar of sustainable design and demonstrate that low CO2 producing buildings can be functional as well as beautiful.
Tue 20 May 2008
National Park Headquarters, Carrochan Road, Balloch
What: The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority will formally open the doors of its new state-of-the-art HQ. There will be a festival atmosphere surrounding proceedings with performances from the children of the Park, environmental displays and demonstrations by rangers, community groups and local school children. A new specially created suite of music by internationally acclaimed composer Eddie Maguire will also be premiered by the 9 piece Red Note Ensemble led by cellist Robert Irvine who lives in the Park.
Who: Mike Russell MSP will formally open the building with NPA Convenor, Mike Cantlay. Local school children and community representatives will also be on hand as part of the 650 strong invite list.
Background
The opening of its new headquarters in Balloch signals the start of a new era for the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority (NPA).
Designed by award winning architects, Page & Park, and packed with a host of environmental features - including an insulation solution made from the wool of 2500 sheep and heated by a combination of biomass and solar gain - the stunning building sets a new standard for sustainable development, not just within the Park, but across the country.
Not only is ‘Carrochan’, as the building is being named, the largest green timber structure in the UK, but it has also achieved the highest ‘excellent’ BREEAM* rating. Importantly, the building will provide facilities for a number of partner organisations and will also be a significant asset for communities throughout the Park.
Previously:
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Headquarters, Balloch
PR from Page \ Park Architects 220507
Timber construction - general site images:
Timber construction - details:
Loch Lomond building : images by Gordon Jack
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Headquarters, Balloch PR from Page \ Park Architects 150806: building due to start on site in October 06
LOCH LOMOND AND THE TROSSACHS NATIONAL PARK
NEW HEADQUARTERS BUILDING, BALLOCH
It is proposed that the new HQ building, to replace temporary accommodation, will be at the junction of Carrochan Road and Lomond Road, Balloch. It will be two-storey and, as well as offices, will contain meeting and conference facilities that will be available for use by community groups and partner agencies. Public parking (35 spaces) will be retained and the HQ’s parking space will also be open for public use in the evenings and weekends.
The Scottish Executive approved a capital grant of just under £9m, to deliver the entire project, in an announcement by Rhona Brankin MSP, Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development on 20 July 2005. The design team led by Page and Park consists of Ian White Associates Landscape Architects, Graven Images Interior Designers, Buro Happold Engineers and Gardiner & Theobald Cost Consultants.
David Page, partner in Page & Park Architects, said: “ We look forward to creating a building that will support the aims of the National Park, a building that exemplifies new attitudes to materials, form and functions as an administrative centre, information point and meeting focus for the community - in all a new front door to the park.”
Lomond Shores
Lomond Imax building by Page \ Park Architects
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Scotland’s fi rst National Park, was set up in July 2002. Its purpose is to balance four aims: conserve & enhance the cultural and natural heritage; promote sustainable use of natural resources; promote enjoyment & understanding of the park’s special qualities; promote sustainable social and economic development.
Glasgow School of Art
Scottish Architecture
Loch Lomond HQ architects - Page \ Park
Loch Lomond Building
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Headquarters, Balloch PR from Page \ Park Architects 150806
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National Park Headquarters - page: adrian welch / isabelle lomholt