Institution of Structural Engineers new headquarters | Hugh Broughton Architects

Hugh Broughton Architects is the architect of The Institution of Structural Engineers’ new
headquarters in Islington, which officially launches 14 May 2015.
The project is the retrofit of an inconspicuous 4-storey 1960s office building which has been
transformed into a modern, thriving workplace. It celebrates a spirit of collaboration between
architect, engineer and client, showcases the application of sustainability in retrofit and
reflects the philosophy and values that have always underpinned the Institution.
It has enabled the institution, the world’s largest membership organisation dedicated to the art
and science of structural engineering, to move from its former location on Upper Belgrave
Street SW1, where it has been based since 1926.
The new headquarters are located on Bastwick Street in the London Borough of Islington, in
Clerkenwell, a central London district with a high concentration of architects and engineers.
The new glass-fronted building will enhance the institution’s role within the professional
community, providing a public conference centre, members’ facilities and library, as well as
flexible workspaces for the Institution’s 55 permanent staff.
The 1600 sq m development has a wide but shallow plan, and the design takes advantage of
this by utilising the expansive elevation for public-facing facilities with ancillary facilities such
as toilets, cloak room, servery and plant on the darker south side placed behind a series of
walls which step in plan from the entrance.
The north elevation, which was characterised by a rigorous pattern of windows, has been
opened up with a dramatic double-height glass-fronted foyer at street level, which floods the
entrance with light.
The entrance reception and foyer exhibition space showcases the four principal building
materials for creating structure: timber, glass, steel and concrete.
A finely detailed, horizontal-cantilevered staircase in pre-cast concrete and steel, designed
with Expedition Engineering, is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional cantilevered
stone stair that characterised the institution’s former building on Upper Belgrave Street. The
stair is supported on one side by an exposed in situ concrete wall, with the textural grain of
the Douglas fir shuttering imprinted into its surface. The treads are supported by a gracefully
shaped minimalist red steel stringer and formed in white pre-cast concrete punched with cast
glass lenses which diffuse light through the stair. The treatment continues in the atrium bridge
opposite, where the shape of the bridge reflects the structural bending moment. Set behind
the new glazed double-height façade and illuminated at night, the stair is clearly visible from
the street, and will become a motif for the pioneering design that the institution supports.

The ground level is accessible to all and includes a 104-seat auditorium and meeting rooms,
with state of the art audio visual, video conference and web casting facilities. As you move up
the building the spaces become increasingly private, with the members' facilities including a
library and business centre flanking the double-height atrium on the first floor. The upper
levels are reserved for staff offices, which include open plan workspaces, cellular offices and
meeting rooms fitted with video conference facilities.
The project was designed with sustainability as a design focus, reflecting the ambitions of its
members. The retrofit incorporates passive sustainable measures including thermal
improvements to the walls and roof, achieved with high levels of insulation and reduced air
permeability. Minimising the requirement for new structure limited resource use and the
associated embodied energy. New materials have been responsibly sourced from suppliers
with environmental accreditation. The Dinesen timber floors are from sustainable European
forests. In the construction of the concrete wall, the Douglas fir timber shuttering has been
reused to make the timber entrance doors and to clad a new extension within the rear
courtyard, which houses audio-visual equipment and furniture storage.
Extensive thermal modelling was carried out to assess the viability of natural ventilation and
passive cooling options. The single aspect and depth of floor plate resulted in areas of the
office which would have been poorly ventilated, so this proved not to be feasible.
Environmental building services strategies include:
• A new heat recovery ventilation system to provide controlled ventilation flow rates to
prevent overheating and allow minimum energy consumption when cooling is not
required
• High efficiency and fully controlled ventilation and cooling plant including air source heat
pumps takes advantage of free cooling under appropriate enthalpy conditions
• Use of high efficiency LED lighting and zoned PIR lighting controls in office areas with
daylight dimming reduces energy consumption of lighting and switches off lighting when
not required
• Installation of BMS system to monitor and maintain mechanical services, reducing
energy consumed and allowing systems to be accurately controlled and to be switched
off when not required
• New efficient boilers for hot water and ancillary heating minimise gas consumption
Aside from the building services the new headquarters also promote a culture of reducing
their members’ carbon footprint. By vastly improving connectivity, the new video conferencing
and webinar facilities offer a leap forward in the way members engage, and significantly
reduce the requirement for international travel.
Hugh Broughton, Director Hugh Broughton Architects said:
‘The design of the new home for The Institution of Structural Engineers demonstrates the
impact of collaboration between an enlightened client with architects and engineers in
creating designs of transparency, clarity and elegance. To deliver the designs and produce
the exceptional quality of the finished project bears testament to the energy of everyone
involved.’
Martin Powell, Chief Executive, The Institution of Structural Engineers said:
‘Bastwick Street offers a leap forward for the Institution and our members. Our improved
video conferencing and webinar abilities will vastly improve connectivity among the
international membership, while our new business centre and adaptable events spaces make
for a much enhanced visitor experience.
As well as a home for our members, Bastwick Street provides a great advertisement for the
structural engineering profession. We have created a modern workplace, delivering pragmatic
and responsible sustainability solutions throughout the construction process – while also
celebrating structural design. The result is a new home which delivers better operations, while
never forgetting the philosophy and values that have always underpinned our work.’

Julia Ratcliffe, Director for the project from Expedition Engineering and Fellow of the
Institution of Structural Engineers said:
‘Expedition were honoured to be asked to work on the Institution’s new building in Bastwick
Street. We recognised this was a unique opportunity to celebrate the work of our profession
and those with whom we collaborate. We are very pleased with the outcome, especially in
the new entrance area where it provides an element of strong structural interest. As
members, we look forward to visiting the building and using the new facilities in the years
ahead.’