Nalco Champion
SPACE worked with Champion Technologies, a company that specialises in bespoke chemical solutions, to design their new Centre of Excellence for Research & Development in the Eastern Hemisphere.
- Client: Champion Technologies
- Year: 2009
- Location: Aberdeen
- Sector: Commercial, Energy
- Scope: Architecture, Interior Architecture, Space Planning, Interior Design
Overview
SPACE worked with Champion Technologies, a company that specialises in bespoke chemical solutions, to design their new Centre of Excellence for Research & Development in the Eastern Hemisphere. A central element of the design process was to identify a sustainable and environmentally sensitive solution, reducing energy consumption and finding efficiencies without compromising the functionality of the building.
Our Approach
The building was constructed on an empty plot adjacent to the pre-existing Champion office building and linked via an above ground walkway to preserve a protected consumption dyke on the property. The centre’s functionality drove the plan configuration, and in staying faithful to the needs of the manufacturing requirements, the design represented a true transformation of Champion’s working environment. Designed with research at the heart, the laboratories are within a glazed atrium around which the remainder of the building is arranged, comprising offices and supporting accommodation.
Champion had an aspiration that the building would achieve a BREEAM ‘Good’ rating and so it was designed and constructed with that goal in mind. As a result, optimum floor plate depth allows for natural ventilation where possible and the building is orientated to maximise the natural light over the course of the day. Our design had to accommodate for other environmental considerations such as sustainable heating and drainage. The main atrium lab utilises underfloor heating provided by a ground source heat pump and there are three separate drainage systems under the building designed to isolate materials during disposal. Our initial target of BREEAM ‘Good’ was surpassed by a verified rating of ‘Excellent’, becoming one of the first buildings in Aberdeen to achieve this rating.
The Charter Building Reception
Morgan Stanley
