client news
VERCO furniture in
Allitec solution to Oxford University collaborative working environment
A major new component in Oxford University's 15 year re-development
programme of its Science Area, the award-winning £49m Department of
Biochemistry building incorporates desking, task seating, and meeting
and café tables selected from the VERCO workplace range by project
furniture consultants, Allitec.
The distinctive 12,000 sq m facility by Hawkins/Brown Architects homes a
large open atrium with work and breakout spaces designed to enable
openness and transparency to establish a collaborative environment for
300 lecturers, researchers and students previously housed in separate
buildings across the University's Science Area.
Glass plays a major role in resolving the building's core design aims.
The glass exterior enables laboratories and researchers to be visible
from the outside while coloured glass fins located throughout cast
changing patterns of light while solar cells on the roof as well as
provide a significant part of the building's electricity.
At its centre, a 400 sq m naturally ventilated, timber clad atrium opens
five floors of breakout areas and open-plan workspaces dispersed to
different levels. Allitec worked closely with Hawkins/Brown to generate
innovative ideas for furniture solutions for offices and meeting rooms
"Critically, these solutions focused on the need to be cost effective
but also sympathetic to the design concepts of the building," said
Hawkins\Brown associate director, Morag Morrison.
Supported by principal furniture partner, VERCO, Allitec successfully
added to both practical and aesthetic design aims.
Complemented by its Pop
task seating, VERCO's Oblique desking range was selected as the base
solution to office areas, its clean lines with beech veneer tops on
white frames lending a crispness and accessibility to the environment.
The theme is echoed in the building restaurant and break out areas where
white tables specially designed for the contract have been supplied by
VERCO.
The Biochemistry Department at Oxford University is the largest in the
UK and is internationally renowned for its research on the understanding
of DNA, cell growth and immunity. A second phase will see the new
Biochemistry building extended for another 500 researchers.
The building is the first stage of a major redevelopment of the Science
Area. When linked to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter development, it
will represent hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment in the
infrastructure of the University of Oxford.
Biochemistry Department associate head Denis O'Driscoll said: "One of
the challenges about this project was to procure items fitting out
spaces that were not only acceptable to our prospective building users
but also complemented the design aspirations for the building.
"Allitec understood our aspirations and were flexible enough to supply
new ideas and new products to support this."
www.allitec.co.uk
www.verco.co.uk
ends
FOR HI-RES IMAGES RELATING TO THIS CONTRACT, PLEASE CONTACT AGENCY
Issued September 2009 on behalf of VERCO Office Furniture Ltd by
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Whiteleaf Business Centre, Buckingham Industrial Park, Buckingham MK18
1TF, UK
tel 00 44 (0) 1296 715228 fax 00 44 (0)1296 715486
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EDITOR NOTE:
About Verco
Founded in 1912, VERCO is
one Britain's best known and respected office furniture manufacturers.
Take this link for the full story:
http://www.verco.co.uk/comp-history.htm
