Sympathetic to its surroundings
Although Dudhope YPU is a conventionally built, steel frame structure, the modern design connects directly to the woodland environment of the historic site.
The front wall is a mixture of brick and timber cladding. The dark blue/grey bricks accentuate the lush green surroundings of the landscape, while the Scottish Larch cladding is turning a graceful silver that reflects the cool northern light.
The mixture of flat and low-level mono-pitched roofs are finished with standing seam and single membrane finishes. The rear elevation disappears into the hillside, concealing the mass of the building from the nearby houses on the north of the site.
The bright, welcoming building makes maximum use of natural light and fresh air. The way that rooms are oriented – as well as passive solar shading – provides extra security and privacy.
At night the surrounding trees, as well as the solar shading, ensure that local residents are not disturbed by lights glowing inside the building.
This was a challenging construction site, close to residential housing. So the project involved careful traffic management and reconfiguration of the existing highway. BAM successfully built a new multi-level car park for staff and visitors, as well as the supporting road infrastructure, on a live operational site.
