Portfolio / Canopies and Walkways / Commercial Buildings / Warwickshire

Insulated Steel Buildings
for a Visitor Centre

Dobbies Garden World Visitor Centre houses imaginative educational displays, which are computerised and interactive, and a retail area, all of which look superb in this elegant circular structure. The insulated steel building, designed and built by Fordingbridge plc, represents an innovative use of curves in keeping with Fordingbridge’s design philosophy.

In order to blend with the landscaped environment Fordingbridge were keen to create a natural yet modern look, so they clad the steel frame of the building with ‘Thermowood’. This material not only looks good but is low maintenance and will help ensure the longevity of the building. This theme is continued internally by the use of OSB boards specially curved to suit the internal face. This gave a stylish finish with its own natural beauty, which did not need to be disguised with paint finishes.

The roof and the circular columns are built from glulam timbers ensuring that the building weathers naturally and blends into its setting. The simplicity of the wood is set off by the clean crisp lines of the galvanised steel flashings which catch the light brilliantly.

From above the structure will appear to be almost invisible as it is going to have a ‘living roof ‘of sedum. For further information please contact Edward Way on 01243 554455.

This project demonstrates how, with our skilful and innovative in-house design team, we are able to design and build unique structures to suit some very unusual customer requirements.

Another Fordingbridge insulated building has been constructed, in a Zoo, to form a part of an Iguana House in which a controlled environment was required for the reptiles’ survival. In this case a high light insulated building with maximum solar gains and heat retention in winter was required in order to ensure that the reptiles would remain active and visible.

Insulated buildings can be designed and built to conform to the highest environmental standards using re-cycleable materials with maximum energy conservation properties.

For:

Retail buildings
Lecture theatres
Libraries
Offices
Public sector buildings
Visitor centres

and indeed Iguana Houses

Fordingbridge has the right design and build solution – whatever your application.