INCA Case Study: NCHA Head Office, Nottingham

The Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) has developed a new head office, Clifton Place, located on the outskirts of the city as part of a larger development incorporating the open plan office, a 24 hour call centre, training facility and supported housing for individuals needing mental health support and those at risk of homelessness. The office building has been designed by Pelham Architects and has been fully operational for about nine months, allowing all departments to be housed under one roof, a more efficient work environment than the previous arrangement spread across many buildings.

At the design and planning stage, Caparol Alsecco were approached by the main contractor Geda and Pelham Architects based upon knowledge of brick facades work carried out using the Ecomin 400 system in both clay and lightweight Meldorfer brick slips. Several brick types were considered alongside the technical and specification work provided by Caparol Alsecco, and a final brick selection was made and passed by the Nottingham planners, as well as some vibrant render colours to complement the brickwork. The style of brickwork setting out was especially exciting, opting for a staggered stacked soldier course bond pattern, something rarely seen but eminently achievable with the range of slips and accessories available in the Meldorfer range. The colour/texture replicates a vibrant multi-buff antique brick whilst also allowing detailing such as the deep soffit to the building entrance which would prove too costly to contemplate in traditional brickwork.

The project was excellently delivered by Geda and KE Peck as the Ecomin 400 system installer, all completed to timescale and budget and to the client’s ultimate satisfaction. The use of the 120mm mineral wool insulation board, in conjunction with the insulation within the SFS framing, achieved the target u-value of 0.18, creating a stable thermally efficient structure.

In recognition of the success of the scheme, Pelham Architects’ Head Architect Mike Price commented

“as Architects we worked with Mark Weaver to review U values for the external wall as well as seeking out brick colours and textures that would work well with the rest of the development. We used the bricks in a vertical stretcher bond to signify that the bricks were cladding and not load bearing. Mark and his team helped with detailing at significant junctions to aid the BREEAM excellent certification. The bricks were positioned so that each section worked to brick dimensions with no cutting”.

Responding on behalf the the NCHA, Chris Pyke-Henry added

“After the first winter using the building, NCHA colleagues have found that the thermal comfort of Clifton Place is significantly better than our previous offices, contributing to a vastly improved working environment and better wellbeing for everyone who spends time in the building. It’s been a huge success and an endorsement of all the efforts put into creating a modern and well insulated workplace”.