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Number One Riverside

Rochdale

Project Details

£20,000 to £49,999

New Build

Practice

FaulknerBrowns Architects

Dobson House, Northumbrian Way , Killingworth , NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE , Tyne and Wear , NE12 6QW , United Kingdom

Number One Riverside is a highly efficient and versatile office building for Rochdale Borough Council that successfully brings together 1,700 staff from a number of diverse sites across the borough. Our proposal responds to the adjacent River Roch, acting as a catalyst for regeneration of the riverside and town centre. The design solution embodies the concept of an office as a versatile living space. By dividing the program into a variety of zones and areas which are tuned to the specific work processes and requirements, the work spaces deliver a landscape of settings that are segmented and yet fully connected. In 2014, Number One Riverside was awarded the title of ‘Best of the Best’ by the British Council for Offices. With the staff having worked previously in a disconnected manner across thirty three different buildings, it was important to create a sense of unity in order to develop effective new work environments. To deliver the client’s aspiration for operational efficiency by bringing together council departments under one roof, our design was required to create a workplace that promoted collaboration and information sharing. To do this we analysed the specific needs of each of the individual departments and developed a model which provided a combination of dedicated spaces and shared spaces, each with strong physical and visual connections. Our concept is realised as a series of weaving floor plates which create a rich, varied and interconnected internal workplace, capable of accommodating a variety of work settings. The design of the building’s skin delivers strong connections between the workplace and the building’s riverside setting. This arrangement creates connectivity with the community it serves and promotes the principle of social transparency. The design provides a dynamism and fluidity which is inspiring and optimistic. The building is grand and personal; quiet and loud; private and transparent. BCO Awards Chairman, Tim Robinson said: ‘Number One Riverside is a true catalyst that will facilitate the transformation and regeneration of the borough of Rochdale. This project united the judges in its success and importance as a focal point for Rochdale.’