We are working with Cammell Laird Shipbuilders to design an onshore Operation and Maintenance facility to be sited adjacent to their shipyard and to be used by one of the wind-farm operators with turbines in Liverpool Bay. The facility will be provided with an 80M long pontoon stretching out into the River Mersey to allow maintenance vessels to come and go at all states of the tide. The building will contain offices, welfare facilities and warehousing in a compact layout that has been specifically designed around the work-flows used by the operator. The building will be located on an exposed site and is designed for minimal maintenance. The proposed use is a modern one and it calls for a simple, clean lined and functional modern design response. The design and detailing of the building are influenced by its location in the marine environment and location adjacent to the river wall. The building needs to be robust and appropriately detailed with materials that will survive salt spray and in the process, be simple, functional and cost-effective to maintain whilst also being influenced by a tradition of marine architecture. The building needs to be able to resist the risk of tidal flooding and to be able to perform well environmentally. The building uses a palette of materials including face brickwork in combination with a high quality panel system to harmonize with its neighbours and reflect the fact that it has industry on one side and residential development on the other. Existing trees are retained to visually screen the car parks on the site from the residential area. Finishes and materials have been chosen for their suitability to survive a hostile marine environment.