While there, he engaged Bryden Wood and together they developed the Front End Factory, a collaborative endeavour to explore how to turn purpose and strategy into the right projects – which paved the way for Design to Value.
In the case of new build projects, our Platforms approach to design and construction will usually inform the concept design.The principle of Platforms is to design to the commonalities between spaces both within and across sectors, with the result that construction can make use of a standard ‘kit of parts’.
This brings a wide variety of benefits, not least flexibility.. By recognising that the space required for a treatment room can be the same as for an office, say, designing on that principle means that, should the need arise, it is easy to convert an office into a treatment room, or vice versa.This is a rational, logical approach.. Our hospital for Circle Health in Birmingham was designed to a grid of four and eight metre spaces.While the reason for this rationalisation was to allow for flexibility and future expansion, a change in business planning meant we had to bring this requirement forward, and expand the hospital while construction was underway, but also while keeping the lower floors operational.. Rationalisation of the internal grid does not limit the options for the external appearance or the aesthetic design of the building.
A Platforms approach places no constraint on the architect’s freedom to create a uniquely beautiful building that responds to its environment..Resilience, future-proofing and sustainability.
It is not enough for a hospital to be excellent when it first opens its doors..
It must also be excellent next year, in 10 years’ time and 10 years after that.The aim is to gather knowledge and offer industry advice.. As part of this effort, some data has been published on the Landsec/Bryden Wood project, the Forge.
This ground-breaking P-DfMA office building project is currently being delivered on-site in London, featuring an almost 20% reduction in embodied carbon.It’s a fantastic achievement, and because The Forge is a Platforms construction project, we’ll be able to take what we’ve learned to create further benefits on future projects.. With the Forge, we’ve been able to prototype the project in advance of it going on-site.
We’ve been able to look at things like different concrete mixes, relating to the self-compacting nature of the concrete.Through evaluation of embodied carbon, we’ve been able to offer lower carbon concrete mixes, tested before being transferred.