New mixed-use development on the site of the existing Diamond Build HQ.
The project comprises four buildings between four and six storeys in height, with a common podium deck, the ground floor is an open plan commercial area and a car park. Architectural feature stairs link adjacent towers together.
The open plan commercial spaces at ground floor required a number of significant transfer structures to support the blocks above. Floor to floor height constraints required these to be of nominal depth. Eckersley O’Callaghan undertook rigorous structural behaviour analysis to study and determine optimum beam depths, while limiting cumulative differential deflections effects. Several of the balconies were also required to function as part of the main floor slab load distribution system, necessitating detailed reviews of thermal break systems in conjunction with the manufacturers.
3D modelling of the building frame in an analytical model allowed floor slab and column arrangements to be optimized. This allowed floor slab depths to be kept to a minimum and consistent throughout the floor plate, improving service distribution layouts and interface with the supporting frame.
Our analyses demonstrated that, while thermal slab breaks are feasible in this unique application, their widespread use becomes financial unfeasible. We focused the design in conjunction with the Architects to limit their use to areas where it was the only viable solution.
