The new HSE headquarters at Bootle, near Liverpool, extends over 30,000 m² and houses approximately 1,500 staff. Kajima Construction Europe (UK) Ltd was chosen to construct the building under a Government PFI scheme. The challenge for the designers was to design a building which would provide first class accommodation that was also large enough to house all the disparate departments under one roof.
The building consists of a "street" consisting of a 144m- long glazed atrium, which connects two "finger buildings" as well as a circular "Drum Building".
The client wanted not only a comfortable internal environment, but also to demonstrate green credentials. Working closely with Kajima, and the client's architect, Colt undertook to provide a large part of the metal and glass roof level works, to fulfil a contract worth over £3m.
The package included Colt Braat 2000+ rooflights to the rotunda and street areas together with smoke ventilators, solar shading and screening louvers.
For the "street", the primary roof cladding sub-contractor provided concrete curbs and primary steelwork, and Colt provided the rest of the roof works. These consisted of vertical cladding into which Coltlite natural smoke ventilators were installed, a Braat 2000+ rooflight the whole length of the atrium, walkways and guttering systems, and a membrane roof. Colt also provided a central soffit containing M&E services.
For the "finger buildings" Colt provided an extensive external Solarfin solar shading system fitted into prefabricated vertical box section supports, with a high level return to the building. Inverted Universal Louver was installed as plant screening, along with acoustic screen to roof mounted plant.
For the "Drum Building" Colt provided an elliptical rooflight, lean-to glazing, external cantilevered curved brise soleil, further inverted Universal Louver, and automatic fire curtains.
For the car park, Colt provided horizontal and vertical fins and perforated flat panels for ventilation, as well as a polycarbonate screen to the main stairwell.
Colt provided a complete smoke control system comprising Stairwell ventilators and Coltlite louvered ventilators linked to the client's BMS.
