An unremarkable piece of canal-side industrial estate in a leafy Hertfordshire has been transformed into a showcase office complex for one of the UK’s most innovative companies, writes Ray Philpott
When a world-leading technology business decides to build a new headquarters, the architecture naturally has to reflect the creativity and originality of the brand. But delivering an eye-catching, hi-tech design that also works in a semi-rural, part-residential waterside location with a run-down canal spur cutting through it is a pretty tall order by anybody’s standards. That was the challenge London-based practice EPR Architects faced when it was engaged to create a new business campus in Hertfordshire for Imagination Technologies, the British-based research and development and licensing company. Imagination Technologies designs and licenses the computer chip technology found in some of the world’s most famous brands – including Sony and Intel – and also owns iconic audio equipment brand Pure, renowned for its innovative, state-of-the art digital radios. The company purchased an adjacent metal fabrication factory site in 2010 with the initial intention of constructing one new building and leaving two existing 1980s buildings in situ at Home Park industrial estate at Kings Langley. During the design of Imagination House, EPR began speaking with Imagination Technologies about the opportunities around creating a site-wide masterplan that would transform an uninspiring piece of industrial estate into an impressive office campus alongside the historic Grand Union canal. The architects devised a visionary three-phase master plan, comprising three distinct buildings for a smart new office campus, embracing the natural, water-filled features around it and turning them into a central asset. This autumn, the vision will be finally realised when the third and last phase of the development is completed and the campus fully opens to more than 1,000 employees. The company has additionally constructed a purpose-built data centre in Hemel Hampstead, also designed by EPR.
A phased build
The first building to open on the campus in November 2012 was Imagination House, the company’s flagship office, incorporating a cafeteria and a pleasantly landscaped outdoor relaxation and amenity area that strengthens the relationship between the building and the canal. The amenity area is there for everyday use but also provides a great space for entertaining clients, office events and formal gatherings. Phase two, known as Concept House sits on the other side of the spur in a triangular piece of land between the main canal and the spur, and is home to the company’s Pure Division. Containing a mixture of office space for over 200 people and specialist research facilities, it was opened in March last year. Phase three provides additional office space for more than 400 employees along with some discrete car parking. All three buildings sit directly alongside the canal spur, with the sweeping, curved water-facing facades of Imagination House and the gentler curves of Concept House hugging the waterway, contrasting with the straight facade of the phase three office. Prior to the development, the spur – or ‘canal race’ – was an unloved industrial relic, part of an old paper mill that closed around 1980. Always envisaged as an intrinsic part of the development, the spur’s been dramatically improved through clearing and a sympathetic of mixture of hard landscaping and planting to soften the water’s edge and enhance the external environment for employees and visitors. These changes also help to maintain and improve the area’s water-based ecology, building on the benefits of a natural flow created by a weir where the water flows down into a culvert running under Homewood Park. While each campus building differs markedly in form and has its own reception, externally there is a strong sense of continuity in terms of materials and colour. All are clad in silver Alucobond, a metal-tray rain screen attached via Metsec to the concrete frame of the building. The long, glass facades of each building are punctuated by rows of striking vertical fins made of perforated metal.
“These upright features help to control thermal gain in largely glazed offices and add some architectural interest, creating a nice rhythm along what are relatively long stretches of glass,” says EPR Associate Director Matthew Collyer. “They also bring together a nice complement of colours, with the blueness of the low-iron glass, the mid-grey verticals and the silver cladding.”
Challenging location
The campus location presented some significant challenges for the architects, being very close to light industrial units, offices, a range of residential housing and permanently occupied houseboats on the Grand Union itself. Collyer says:
“Imagination Technologies wants to be a good neighbour and to create a high-quality development that‘s sympathetic to the surroundings. In response to its immediate environment, the campus has to be low-profile and is limited to three storeys high, while embracing natural assets like the canal and making them the focus for the development.
“The western facade of Concept House backs onto the main canal and although there are screening trees and planting, we kept that side of the building largely solid so that houseboat owners didn’t feel overlooked. To add visual interest and break the building up we gave that facade three sweeping, staggered curves.
“The buildings have been constructed using a post-tensioned concrete slab system enabling us to keep structural floor depths relatively slender and squeeze the building down to meet the low-profile aspect of the brief, while maintaining generous floor-to-ceiling heights in the office areas.”
However there is a substantial amount of plant equipment on the roof of each building.
Collyer adds:
“Being low buildings, we really didn’t want the plant visible, so the metal cladding flows up as a natural continuation of the facades forming a pitched parapet that, from ground level, hides unsightly equipment and softens up the roofline of the buildings.”
Showcase features
Phase 1 primarily consists of two floors of office space sitting over the single-storey, highly transparent, lower ground floor with the cafeteria and amenities, which has strong a sense of openness. EPR also utilised the one-storey level drop across the site to advantage by creating a floor below the entrance level of phase 1 for the cafeteria, amenities and services. A large atrium floods light down over an impressive feature staircase linking the mid-floor reception area with the offices above and the catering facilities and amenities on the lower level.
“We wanted the prominent light and airy atmosphere to encourage people to use the vertical circulation space and create a buzz, rather than take the perhaps more traditional approach of tucking all the stairways out of site,” says Collyer. “We used high quality materials, including glass treads and balustrades to maximise light penetration and elegantly detailed stainless steel handrails. We worked hard with the sub-contractor, AW Jeffries, to get that right.”
A similar atrium and feature stairwell will also be present in Phase 3, where the significant drop in ground level was exploited once again to create a discrete, car park below ground level, primarily for staff. Phase 2 placed different demands on the team. In addition to office space for more than 200 people it includes spaces used for testing Pure products including an anechoic chamber – which effectively prevents reflection of sounds – and laboratories. There is no atrium. Collyer says:
“Many functions carried out in this building simply don’t exist in Phases 1 or 3, so it was a technical challenge which meant working very closely with the mechanical and electrical engineer, Scotch Partners, to make sure we got these aspects right.”
Bridging the gap
With the campus divided in two by water, a bridge linking all the three phases together is a practical necessity, but also provides an opportunity to make a statement. EPR’s idea was to build a bridge with a glass and steel balustrade on the side facing the campus and a timber balustrade on the Grand Union-facing side reflecting the softer natural aspects of the waterway. The bridge, pre-fabricated off-site, is finished with a composite decking system while subtle lighting gives it an attractive glow at night.
“The bridge acts as a centre piece for the landscaping and mediates between the two differing environments – natural and architectural,” explains Collyer. “We had a lot of fun with the design, which has quite complex geometry because it‘s gently curved in plan, referencing the geometry of the buildings, and the surface is cambered. We collaborated extensively with the structural engineer and landscape architect to get it right and ensure the initial design concepts weren’t lost.
“During the design of the footbridge we liaised closely with the Environment Agency to ensure that it was of adequate height above the water. If it were too low it could potentially cause flooding in certain conditions.”
Environmental considerations are important to Imagination Technologies. The first phases have already been awarded BREEAM Excellent status. Employees are encouraged to use public transport, walk or cycle to work. Rows of photovoltaic panels sit on the roofing along with solar thermal panels on top of Imagination House to help provide hot water for the cafeteria. Collyer says:
“Ultimately, our objective has always been to create an office campus that reflects Imagination Technologies as a company and creates an environment that’s pleasant to work in, but also works well within its surroundings.
“When phase three opens this year we will have realised that goal.”