This new office building was designed to centralize Council facilities previously located in a number of buildings around the County. Jointly delivered under a design & build contract with Willmott Dixon, the building consists of two wings of accommodation around a double height reception atrium. The southern wing contains two floors of open plan office space, with the northern wing containing council members' offices, meeting rooms and a new Council Chamber.
The building serves members of the public as well as providing dedicated space for Council staff and Members.
The design maximizes links with the semi-rural site, via the glazed reception, allowing views to the entrance plaza, the adjacent courtyards and the wider countryside.
The building is predominantly naturally ventilated, which together with a biomass boiler installation, ensured that the scheme achieved its BREEAM target of "Very Good."
The building design and site landscaping had to ensure that the existing ecology was enhanced via bat and bird roosting facilities, including a new bat loft installed in the north wing roofspace.