No easy answers
As lead contractor, BAM faced considerable technical challenges. To maximise the use of space inside and out. To translate the iconic form into a cost-effective and sustainable structural solution, built from Glulam timber. To build the cutting-edge structure quickly, with minimal disruption to traffic and local people…
Despite the challenges of working with the Glulam system, BAM Design Manager Marek Konas is a fan: “Timber won over steel as it’s more aesthetically appropriate, because it will be exposed within the building.
"There are environmental advantages too, as it’s produced from a sustainable forest. And it saved a lot of time, as it arrived with service openings pre-cut so there was virtually no cutting or fixing needed on site.”
Completed in Summer 2014, Somerstown Central has already generated a real sense of pride and ownership among the people it’s designed to serve.
