CASE STUDY
Peterhouse Technology Park
CRE8 Structures were selected as Civil and Structural Engineers for a due diligence evaluation of the western extension building to the Arm campus at Peterhouse.
CLIENT
British Land
Architect
Aukett Swankee
Delivery date
2024
Location
Cambridge
Leading edge thinking in the pursuit of sustainable and effective solutions.
This confidential office project on a technology park is a development of a 105,000 sq ft office for a technology tenant. The project comprises the reprofiling of the site and the new build of a three storey office building.
CRE8 Structures are reviewing the civil and structural engineering design for British Land and undertook the review of the ground conditions, drainage, sub structures and superstructures of this tech park building.
The team developed several options to optimise the building working within the height constraints of the overall site due to its adjacency to sensitive uses.
The original design was a concrete frame, flat slab on columns and piles however a contractor proposed alternative of a thin, post tensioned slab with circular columns supported on a reinforced concrete sub structure and reinforced concrete piles worked better to meet the project requirements. Services are integrated within a combined ceiling zone and embodied carbon has been reduced wherever possible to improve the drive for net zero carbon. The post tensioned solution reduced the embodied carbon significantly. The drainage employs Sustainable urban drainage principals with all storm water returning to the ground and not discharging to the public sewers.
Project Challenges
• Working on tight timescales to achieve an optimised design.
• Resolving major concerns about the proximity of the Cadent gas main and its proximity to the main swale taking storm water from the site. The swale dimensions clashed with the gas main no build zone significantly and consent had not been obtained from Cadent to this incursion of the earthworks. The resolution was to seek early meetings with Cadent to discuss their concerns, if any.
• Seeking value engineering opportunities within a constrained brief.
• Overall height restriction limited structural depth and solution achieved the desired grid without increasing the height due to the use of post-tensioning.
• SUDS drainage used and its limitation from planning requirements within the landscaping.
• Design optimised to potentially meet the open market requirements as well as a specific single user to future proof the asset.
CRE8 Structures are reviewing the civil and structural engineering design for British Land and undertook the review of the ground conditions, drainage, sub structures and superstructures of this tech park building.
The team developed several options to optimise the building working within the height constraints of the overall site due to its adjacency to sensitive uses.
The original design was a concrete frame, flat slab on columns and piles however a contractor proposed alternative of a thin, post tensioned slab with circular columns supported on a reinforced concrete sub structure and reinforced concrete piles worked better to meet the project requirements. Services are integrated within a combined ceiling zone and embodied carbon has been reduced wherever possible to improve the drive for net zero carbon. The post tensioned solution reduced the embodied carbon significantly. The drainage employs Sustainable urban drainage principals with all storm water returning to the ground and not discharging to the public sewers.
Project Challenges
• Working on tight timescales to achieve an optimised design.
• Resolving major concerns about the proximity of the Cadent gas main and its proximity to the main swale taking storm water from the site. The swale dimensions clashed with the gas main no build zone significantly and consent had not been obtained from Cadent to this incursion of the earthworks. The resolution was to seek early meetings with Cadent to discuss their concerns, if any.
• Seeking value engineering opportunities within a constrained brief.
• Overall height restriction limited structural depth and solution achieved the desired grid without increasing the height due to the use of post-tensioning.
• SUDS drainage used and its limitation from planning requirements within the landscaping.
• Design optimised to potentially meet the open market requirements as well as a specific single user to future proof the asset.
