Recognition 1. Prize invited arch. competition 1989, British Construction Industry Award 1998, RIBA Best of British Award 1999, British Council for Offices Award 1999
Built 1998
To retain a human scale for a development intended to house 4000 staff, we have divided the office accommodation into a series of “houses”.
Designed to promote social interaction and informal meeting, the street 175 metres long, is the hub of the scheme.
To contrast with the buzz of the street, the office areas are designed to be calm, welcoming and informal within an ordered plan. Each of the office buildings is divided into two wings by a central lift lobby, which faces onto the street.
A strong link between the internal and external environment is characteristic of the development, with views out to the courtyard and the landscape beyond, from the street, office areas and the restaurant.
From the exterior, Waterside is viewed as a series of buildings in the landscape, linked by a transparent glass enclosure. Grass mounds which create an undulating visual screen around Waterside, the stepped roofline and projecting sharp stone clad fins to office wings all serve to break down the mass of the complex.
