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33 Central is a striking building at the gateway to the City of London. Topped with one of the City’s largest roof gardens, and achieving a BREAAM Excellent rating, the building not only offers a flexible modern office space but is also a fine example of sustainable design and construction.
John Robertson Architects (JRA) managed the project over a 10-year period, through feasibility studies and planning consent, to detailed design and overseeing construction.
The original building at 33 King William Street was constructed in the 1980s. In 2008 the then owner, property and investment group Topland, asked JRA to undertake a feasibility study to refurbish the existing building. However, following this study, the decision was taken to demolish and re-build.
The new building was designed to maximise the letting area and also to attract potential buyers. As a result, JRA managed to increase the lettable space by 65% from the original building despite the new structure having fewer floors. Meanwhile, the vast landscaped roof garden crowning the building offers unobstructed views to the City of London, Canary Wharf and the River Thames.
In 2013, Topland sold the site to international property developer HB Reavis, which in turn appointed JRA to develop a detailed user-focused design for the site and deliver the new building.
Sustainability was very important for HB Reavis and after reviewing the plans asked JRA to increase the area of the roof garden. Photovoltaic arrays which were to be installed on the roof were reduced in size, allowing JRA to increase the landscaped roof area by 30% to provide planting space for 9,000 plants from more than 55 native species.
To accommodate the roof garden, most of the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment and plant was relocated from the roof into the basement. A huge 12-storey watertight air shaft runs through the middle of the building into the basement to provide air intake.
One of the key challenges was to create a modern building that worked contextually with the historically significant buildings that surround it.
33 Central is situated on a prominent site in the City of London at the northern approach to London Bridge. From the outset the building was conceived as a complementary backdrop to the Grade 2* listed Fishmonger’s Hall, which sits in front of it, and the art deco Adelaide House opposite.
Planners were keen for the architects to use traditional materials. Rather than smaller handmade tiles, JRA chose a bespoke large-scale terracotta faience for the exterior. The colours mirror and complement those of the surrounding buildings.
Agnieszka Szedzianis, associate at JRA, explains: “It was important to think about creating a timeless design, as the whole design, planning and build process can take many years and we needed the building to still be viewed as modern and contemporary when it was completed. Back in 2011, it was very innovative to push for a roof garden. There was no example of that in the City of London, and the planners were very impressed.”
Internally the building is planned around a central core that echoes the shape of the site. The wide, clear floor plates are suitable for a variety of different occupiers making the building flexible, as well as maximising the internal floor area. A deep 18-metre wide area is ideal for trading floors, 15 metre deep areas are designed for meeting rooms and breakout spaces, and 12 metre spaces are perfect for individual offices. JRA also minimised the number of columns to maximise flexibility during internal fit-out.
To minimise disruption, costs, and environmental impact, JRA opted to re-use the building’s existing foundations. With no excavation needed, the project could be completed up to two years early. What’s more, 49% of the concrete used in the new building was recycled, which meant fewer materials needed to be transported into the centre of London.
“We knew the shape of the existing foundations from the previous drawings, but after the original building was demolished, we found they were weaker than we had thought,” says Agnieszka. “Consequently, the new building has a lightweight steel structure, chosen so that it could sit on the existing foundations.”
JRA estimates that 24km of steel section was used in the building. The design delivers 2.75m floor to ceiling space, with a facade ratio of 1:2 solid to glass with full-height glazing (5,000 panels each weighing up to 53kg) on each elevation for the offices. This maximises the natural light inside, improves thermal insulation and reduces energy costs.
JRA produced the initial designs in ArchiCAD 10, and then re-drew the model in ArchiCAD 15, 17 and 19 as the years progressed, to benefit from the latest functionality in the software.
Agnieszka says: “We had a team of up to 15 people working on the project across two countries at any one time. We designed in 3D using ArchiCAD, and with BIMServer and a fast internet connection, this was a smooth process.
“We use Graphisoft’s Teamwork on every project within our practice and we find it invaluable. At one point, we had some members of the team working on the technical drawings, some working on renders and modelling, and others checking details with the contractors.”
JRA used ArchiCAD’s trace reference tool extensively on the project. “It allowed us to compare the new model with old versions and check everything aligned and coordinated correctly,” says Agnieszka. “The tool also enabled us to add two different contractor drawings to the model and to immediately see the different versions and what had changed.
“In addition, we used Profile Manager to model structure encasements and facade elements. Core and repetitive elements of details were drawn in separate files and imported as hotlinks or modules.”
Agnieszka and her team coordinated and exchanged information with six different companies during the project.
“The scheduling tool helped the quantity surveyor to calculate the volumes of materials needed and we imported IFC models from the structural engineers to check the steel frame and to coordinate with architectural elements.”
Starting in 2011, the project wasn’t run to BIM level 2. However, the team used elements of BIM Level 1 and Level 2 during the design and coordination processes.
“In particular, designing in 3D helped to coordinate with the structural engineer and the MEP. The 3D models also showed the complex junctions and movement joints and helped to inform how to construct and fire protect the building,” says Agnieszka.
“The clients liked working in 3D and enjoyed having the ability to move around the model in 3D during design meetings. And by showing the client the ArchiCAD model during design meetings we had the flexibility to change things straight away.”
JRA was appointed by HB Reavis during the build stage and was heavily involved during the construction process.
“We monitored progress on site and also helped the developer with the detailing and interface details between the different trades,” says Agnieszka. “We provided information in both 3D and 2D including scale drawings of the model, which were produced directly from ArchiCAD. We also imported all drawings from the contractors into our model to compare with their proposals.”
Purchased by US bank Wells Fargo to establish its headquarters in London, the completed building offers 225,000 sq ft of light-filled prime office space, with river views and a beautiful roof garden. It achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating and has substantial cycle facilities which exceed the London Plan requirements, including cycle racks and showers to encourage people to cycle or run to work or during their lunch break. As a result, the building was awarded a platinum cycling certificate score.
In addition, the project won Graphisoft’s Project of the Year 2018, was shortlisted for the AJ100 2018 Sustainable Practice of the Year award, shortlisted for the New London Architecture 2018 offices category, was highly commended in the Property Awards 2018 Developer of the Year category and was a finalist in the British Council for Offices 2018 Commercial Workplace category.
Charlie Woodley looks at research into construction disputes and the role digitalisation can play in solving them.
To understand claims and dispute causation better in the construction and engineering sector, and the likely impact of digitalisation, our team analysed data and expert opinion on 257 projects, together valued at more than $400bn, where HKA provided claims consulting and dispute resolution services.
We identified numerous causes, and the interrelationships between them, which we believe more truly reflects the constraints on parties and projects.
The top ten causes of disputes will surprise few. They are, in order:
More interesting, however, is that our research showed an average of 13 interrelated causation factors per project, which debunks any attempt to reduce dispute causation to a few headline factors. There are primary, secondary, even tertiary causes, and they shift depending on which party in the dispute – owner, contractor, designer – is examined. Put simply, it’s complicated.
Looking at the top ten causes, however, we believe that digitalisation in the industry will have an ameliorative effect on disputes as “information liquidity” extends through supply chains. By information liquidity, we mean the ease with which records, and the data they contain, can be converted into knowledge.
For instance, a major challenge in dispute resolution is trying to establish what the facts were on site.
Retrieving data has traditionally relied on paper-based site diaries, which site agents can neglect to update, or can fill with inappropriate information.
Where there is ambiguity around the facts, parties entrench. The advent of relatively simple smartphone apps, complemented by photography, which can export data in a structured format, allows the facts to be established much faster, and with less expense.
So, rather than fight over the facts, parties can progress more efficiently to negotiating a settlement.
The savings in time and cost can be dramatic. Recently we assisted with a delay claim and used automation techniques to extract progress data and plot S-curves in about four hours, whereas a manual process might have taken three weeks.
Extrapolated, this type of time and cost saving supports the claim that the forecasted value-add of digitalisation is in the trillions of dollars.
The use of 3D models in the industry at large, and within dispute resolution, will only increase over time as BIM continues to gain traction globally and becomes business as usual.
As awareness of the value of information models grows, we expect them to be requested and their potential to connect with non-graphical data to be evaluated as a matter of course. This will be reinforced as the dispute resolution community shifts focus to data rather than documents.
With both industry and advisors digitally maturing, it is not unrealistic to expect 70% to 80% of future contentious commissions to have models available within the next five years, reversing the current position.
Note: We do not hold that the industry in its entirety must digitalise all at once. Pockets of change spark more pockets of change. Information requirements that include machine-readable formats for data interchange will result in a trickle-down effect, improving data flow throughout the supply chain.
This process will accelerate as parties recognise the value of data flow, and such provisions become standard inclusions in contracts.
Charlie Woodley is director and CRUX programme lead at HKA, a consulting, expert and advisory firm. A longer version of this article, with a link to the HKA report, is published in the current edition of Construction Research & Innovation, and can be accessed free of charge by GCR readers by clicking here, until 24 June 2019.
Image: Snowingg - Dreamstime.com
The concrete sector’s BIM journey is progressing at different speeds; precast specialists are embracing the technology, but it’s early days for the RC frame sector. Will Mann reports.
BIM’s relationship with concrete to date is a tale of two halves. While BIM use on reinforced concrete frame projects has been limited, as CM’s research with Trimble shows, the precast sector is quickly discovering the technology’s benefits.
“Precast is perfectly placed to exploit BIM,” says Matthew Butcher, environmental and technical officer at British Precast. “Precast firms are working in a controlled factory environment, which is ideal for the principles of design for manufacture and assembly.”
“The government is prioritising use of offsite manufacturing, and now wants a ‘platforms’ system of standardised components, while major clients like Heathrow are also moving in this direction.”
BIM software house Trimble sees exciting digital possibilities for the precast sector. Business manager Ismail Makda says: “Digital construction can facilitate the workflow between different stakeholders on a project. An architect can send their 3D model to the precast firm, who can create a highly detailed model with all the embeds, reinforcement and so on, while the engineer can use the model to assess the structural characteristics, such as wind loading.”
FP McCann became the first precast specialist to achieve BIM Level 2 accreditation with BSI, two years ago, and completed its first BIM Level 2 project last year, a warehouse job at the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT).
“The shift to working in a data-rich 3D environment has meant significant additional work, training people in new software and developing components with embedded data,” explains senior technician Colin Mackenzie. “Benefits have included clash detection, for example, allowing steel frame issues to be highlighted early, and quicker design.”
The company typically works with the architect’s 3D model and Mackenzie says federated models are rare. “We generally work at LOD [level of detail] of 4 or 5,” he says. “More recently, we have started receiving BEPs [BIM execution plans], where the LOD and LOI [level of information] have been specified for various project stages.”
On the DIRFT scheme, Mackenzie adapted Trimble’s Tekla software to speed up design of bespoke precast units.
“There were, for example, 77 T-wall sections required, of which 30 were bespoke,” he explains. “Each one would have taken two hours to model individually. Instead, using the custom components editor in Tekla, I defined possible parameters for the bespoke elements. Then, when the designers began work, they could define the unique requirements of each unit, such as different dimensions, fixing positions.
“Working this way, we designed each unit in just two minutes. The total modelling took less than a week.”
Mackenzie says FP McCann’s greatest gain from BIM adoption has been the parallel development of internal production processes.
“Using the embedded data in our Tekla software, we have been able to transfer information to lasers allowing quicker and easier mould set-up,” he says. “Additional investment in data driven mesh/rebar machines, adopting simpler reinforcement configurations, will accelerate rebar cage fabrication. On box culverts, we’ve reduced cage fabrication time by 50-60%.”
The next step in FP McCann’s BIM transformation is coordination with logistics. “Software firm StruSoft has supplied us with their Impact system, which links with our modelling data, and allows our planners to assign units to casting beds in the factory and then link up with deliveries to site,” Mackenzie explains.
Meanwhile, Creagh is also seeing advantages from implementing BIM across its business. Connor McMahon was project manager on the company’s Sheffield HSBC project, where Creagh was brought in by main contractor BAM with just 16 weeks’ notice to deliver three concrete cores.
Each one was 34.5m tall and comprised 17 precast sections, consisting of flat walls, “C-shape” units, boxes, stairs, landings and capping slabs. The largest sections were 8m by 4.6m across and 2m high, weighing around 27 tonnes.
Creagh modelled the cores in Revit to LOD 5 then worked collaboratively on the design with other project team members.
“The model became an interactive tool, so we could visualise the product on the project virtually, before the prefabricated component is cast in the factory and arrives on site,” McMahon says. “Creagh uploaded data drops to the common data environment [CDE] used on the project, so this provided Bam with evidence of how the precast cores had been developed.”
He says a rise in productivity has increased Creagh’s trust in BIM: “We can work quicker, with more accuracy on cost build-up for estimates, reduced lead times, and improved timeframes during the critical path process.
“We are seeing better quality control, with a reduction in remakes and miscasts, plus we can be sure of ordering the exact quantities of cast-in components. BIM has promoted more sustainable and lean manufacturing processes internally.”
Precast firm Techrete used Trimble’s Tekla package on the V&A Dundee. “As there were no straight external walls, the challenge of designing, manufacturing and installing the 2,400 precast concrete panels, which brought the geometrically complex design to life, was recognised at the beginning of the project,” explains Makda.
“Therefore, BIM was used throughout the project, with every precast plank modelled by Techrete. This allowed the design team to search the model, zoom in and spin the plank around to ensure it fitted the design.”
While the V&A Dundee has been a showcase for BIM, Makda feels there is still “work to do to enable external stakeholders to collaborate more effectively through digital construction”. There is a culture of retaining information they consider sensitive, he says, but BIM is about “openness and transparency”.
Mackenzie believes there needs to be more drive from clients for BIM to be fully implemented. “We currently find that while there is intent, it is not necessarily followed through with full adoption,” he explains. “We have worked on three projects where the client wanted BIM Level 2 protocols, but the schemes did not end up being managed that way.”
Some questions also remain over product data formats. British Precast says it is continuing to work with the Construction Products Association on its Lexicon concept, the plan for a single data standard across all industry product categories.
Precast objects in the NBS National BIM Library are mostly limited to infrastructure products. FP McCann, for instance, has uploaded pipes, rings and manhole covers. However, Mackenzie says there is “limited demand” to extend the provision of standard components across other product groups.
Meanwhile, British Precast has created Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), with life cycle assessment data, for several product groups, which will allow greater sustainability scrutiny through BIM. “Designers will be able to call up EPD data from all products on a project using the BIM model, and obtain up-to-date environment assessments on those materials to inform the specification,” explains Butcher.
Top image: Creagh modelled three concrete cores in Revit to meet a 16-week delivery date on its HSBC Sheffield project
The Wikipedia article of the day for March 31, 2019 is Georgetown Car Barn.The United States will no longer provide foreign assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
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