Building 1030 - Winnersh Triangle

• Commercial

Building 1030 is prominently located at the western end of the 85-acre Winnersh Triangle business park, located just outside of Reading. This provides a range of offices, industrial, R&D and data centre accommodation. The brief was set to enhance the overall amenity space by creating a communal green space for the benefit of all the workers in the business park. The space has an entirely new landscaped environment, hosting a wide variety of park events, such as; barbecues, food festivals and seasonal fares.

The main design feature is the 87-piece high quality bespoke solid radiused silver grey Chinese granite benches encircling most of the green. The benches are topped with Iroko hardwood slats set to the radius with special secret fixings. The sloping site meant stepped foundations had to be made to take the units, which in turn had to be carefully designed, co-ordinated and individually made and finished to ensure they fitted exactly next to each other, ordering was left late by the main contractor, making this very tight due to time required for the design, manufacture, shipping and installation. All other works were completed such that the seat units were one of the last things to be dropped in, meaning foundation setting out was critical and all pieces had to be correct on arrival.

Frosts also undertook the structural concrete for the entrance steps finished with Yorkstone and granite cladding, as well as extending a 2.5m high curved concrete retaining wall that formed part of the pedestrian entrance to the site. We also installed the sweeping resin bound path that wraps around the green.

Sections of the existing soft and hard landscaping had to be removed and the new landscaping tied into the existing levels and finished. Ducts had to be incorporated for all the lighting, electrical points and irrigation systems all installed by others. The soft landscaping consists of a range of semi mature trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in keeping with existing scheme already in place.

A number of issues made the project very complex. Daily meetings were necessary to liaise with the other contractors and site management to plan what could be done considering site deliveries, working hours and noise. Aside from these issues, the project was completed to a high standard, leaving the area a perfect space to be enjoyed by the workers at the business park.