SCALA Civic Building of the Year Competition, 2006
Highly Commended
South Tyneside Council Quadrus Centre
The £53 million Quadrus Centre is a gateway development providing an environment that encourages businesses located there to help each other by exchanging knowledge.
It has 45 quality offices on five floors ranging in size from 13 sq m to 117 sq m, each benefiting from high-speed broadband facilities and access around the clock. The centre also has ‘hot desk’ facilities available by the hour for workers needing instant, ‘ready-to-work-in’ office space. All tenants also have access to full conference facilities and a lakeside café offering healthy food options.
A striking and iconic design was a fundamental requirement since it is the first building to be seen when approaching the Borough from the south. It comprises two cubes, containing offices, linked by a glazed structure, floating over an amorphous curvilinear floor housing the communal facilities.
The cedar clad cubes are designed to weather naturally and provide a low maintenance, environmentally responsive walling system. Trada were consulted to ensure the longevity and sustainability of this major building element.
Sustainability is achieved through an ecologically responsible and spatially flexible design with simple management systems and low maintenance requirement. Air cooling is only provided as necessary for computer use.
Funding sources included South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council, Tyne Wear Partnership’s Single Programme, European Regional Development Fund and One North East’s Single Regeneration Budget.
- Architect:
- Ryder Co (Concept), Parr Partnership (Construction)
- Quantity Surveyor:
- Currie and Brown
- Mechanical and Electrical Engineer:
- Parsons Brinkerhoff
- Structural Engineer:
- Parsons Brinkerhoff
- Landscape Architect:
- Insite Environments
- Main Contractor:
- Bowmer and Kirkland
