Blanc De Bierges C&W

Case Study The Cable & Wireless College, Coventry MacCormac Jamieson Prichard

LOCATION LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

A creative collaboration Richard Wilcock looks at the important

role of Blanc de Bierges in the

realisation of the design by architects

MacCormac Jamieson Prichard.

The training facility for Cable &

Wireless in Coventry has been

recognised as one of the finest

buildings completed in the UK in

recent years: ‘It is one of the best

new buildings in Europe,’ according

to Jonathan Clancey, architectural

correspondent for The Independent.

Having won the accolade of the Royal

Fine Art Commission/Sunday Times

Building of the Year A ward for 1994,

the Cable & Wireless College has

achieved a string of other awards and

commendations.

The versatility and scope of the Blanc de Bierges system of handcrafted

building and landscaping components - as well as the company’s ability to

collaborate with designers - were fully tested in this Cable & Wireless project.

Blanc de Bierges Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1858 410 048 www.blancdebierges.com

Case Study The Cable & Wireless College, Coventry

“One of our key early concepts

was that all the buildings on

the campus should appear to

be sitting on a single plinth.

To achieve this, we knew we

needed one product range to

cope with the many different

shapes and forms. But we

wanted something softer and

more textured than machined

precast concrete. “

Cable & Wireless is one of the

world’s largest telecommunications

enterprises with associated companies

in 50 countries, including Mercury in

the UK.

The brief for the building to architects

MacCormac Jamieson Prichard was

to provide a ‘centre of excellence

in training and research’. The

architects had extensive experience

in designing educational facilities.

Partner David Prichard realised that

this brief for a complete college was

‘quite exceptional’ and that the client

wanted a very special solution.

The prestige nature of the project is

reflected in the quality of the design

and the materials used. The natural

creamy-buff colour and handcrafted

appearance of Blanc de Bierges is an

integral part of the visual appeal of

the project. It blends beautifully with

other materials, such as the Kirkstone

slate, needle-gunned in-situ concrete,

copper cladding and the distinctive

green-blue glazed roof tiles used on

the wave-like, north-light roofs of the

two teaching wings.

Setting the tone

But quite apart from its attractive

appearance, the variety of the Blanc

de Bierges range is such that the

architects were able to use it in many

different ways. Not only does Blanc

de Bierges define the main circulation

routes for the campus, it is also used

to express one of the fundamental

design concepts of the project. Stephen

Cherry, Architect and Associate in

charge explains:

“We were aware of the Blanc de

Bierges range, and visited their

factory to see the manufacturing

process and discuss our requirements.

Following that visit we produced

over one hundred 3-D sketches

of the forms we were developing.

These sketches became the basis of a

close collaboration with the team at

Blanc de Bierges, and we spent many

hours together devising ways to use

and manipulate standard moulds

and minimise the need for specials.

We learned a good deal about their

manufacturing process, and this

enabled us to tweak dimensions,

rationalise step heights and so on, to

reduce the need for expensive new

moulds.”

“Where new moulds had to be

created, we adapted them to

extract as many variations from

the mould type as possible, to

produce all the components

we required.”

There are two of these elegant seats on campus, gracing the ends of paths. The unique design is inspired by the

convex/concave elements often found in the work of Lutyens. They are specially created in Blanc de Bierges material.


Case Study The Cable & Wireless College Coventry

In total there were 76,000 elements

of Blanc de Bierges used in the

project, based on 139 different types

of components. Some 68,000 of these

elements came from 11 standard

components, 5000 from 85 specially

created components and 3000

from 43 modifications of standard

components.

Sited on the edge of a technology

park close to Warwick University, the

Cable and Wireless College looks out

over open countryside. It caters for

around 300 students, more than half

living on site. The teaching areas are

laid out in a series of strips across the

site running from east to west. The

main entrance is to the south where

the wings of the teaching blocks open

out and embrace the countryside

beyond, like a Palladian villa - one of

the inspirations for the design.

Blanc de Bierges is first seen at the

entrance where ‘L’ Modules have been

used on the haha wall, which reduces

the impact of the main road on the

College’s view of the countryside. The

powerful diagonal route, paved with

Blanc de Bierges 600 x 600 mm slabs

and 140 x 140 x 40 mm setts, leads along

the edge of the west teaching block,

under the library and through the

central oculus to the reception area.

Flights of stairs, constructed with

steps cast at an angle to orientate with

the paving, lead up to the walkways

around the plinth and down into the

lake.

Central facilitiesCentral facilities - such as the refectory,

common rooms, library and museum

- are placed around the ocular court.

Here, four copper-clad columns

support a high-level canopy with an

oval cut-out. The shape is reflected in

the paving where the Blanc de Bierges

slabs harmonise with an oval inset of

Kirkstone slate.

Because of its lively appearance, its

ability to perform both internally

and externally, and its modularity,

Blanc de Bierges has been used as a

unifying material throughout the

scheme on vertical planes as well as

horizontal. Stephen Cherry explains:

‘It was essential that the vertical slabs

did not appear as cladding. To create

the plinth, standard Blanc de Bierges

‘L’ Modules have been detailed and

assembled in a manner expressing

solid masonry. This can most clearly

be seen in the ha-ha, steps, and the

angled, exposed corners to the west

teaching block plinth rising out of the

lake’

Blanc de Bierges paving slabs (600 x

600 mm and 300 x 600 mm) are used

to define the covered cloister on the

south facade of the residential block.

This links the student bed-sitting

rooms, grouped around staircases in

the traditional Oxbridge manner, with

the communal facilities. The College,

as a consequence of its location, is

quite self-contained, hence David

Prichard emphasises the importance

of the refectory as the social hub of

this community.

At the east end of the site, where the

ground rises to form a small hillock,

is the leisure pavilion containing the

swimming pool, fitness centre, sports

hall and bar. The pool and plant room

are buried into the ground, which is

then reformed around the building.

The bar is at first-floor level and its

terrace forms the roof of the pool. The

terrace can be reached externally and

internally, via Blanc de Bierges steps

in a variety of shapes, sizes and edge

profiles.

‘It was essential that the vertical slabs did not appear

as cladding. To create the plinth, standard Blanc de

Bierges ‘L’ Modules have been detailed and assembled

in a manner expressing solid masonry. This can most

clearly be seen in the ha-ha, steps, and the angled,

exposed corners to the west teaching block plinth rising

out of the lake’



Blanc de Bierges paving slabs (600 x

600 mm and 300 x 600 mm) are used

to define the covered cloister on the

south facade of the residential block.

This links the student bed-sitting

rooms, grouped around staircases in

the traditional Oxbridge manner, with

the communal facilities. The College,

as a consequence of its location, is

quite self-contained, hence David

Prichard emphasises the importance

of the refectory as the social hub of

this community.

At the east end of the site, where the

ground rises to form a small hillock,

is the leisure pavilion containing the

swimming pool, fitness centre, sports

hall and bar. The pool and plant room

are buried into the ground, which is

then reformed around the building.

The bar is at first-floor level and its

terrace forms the roof of the pool. The

terrace can be reached externally and

internally, via Blanc de Bierges steps

in a variety of shapes, sizes and edge

profiles.

A distinctive feature crafted out

of Blanc de Bierges components is

the fountain in the leisure pavilion.

Here, the architects have created the

impression that the fountain is the

source of water for the swimming

pool and that it then flows outside

the building over a waterfall, before

passing along a narrow rill or water-

filled channel framed with Blanc de

Bierges 400 x 600 x 200 mm steps.

The other main water feature is

the lake at the main entrance to the

college. Here, Blanc de Bierges ‘L’

Modules rise out of the water to form

the plinth to the west teaching block.

A splash of inspiration

The non-slip finish and low porosity

of Blanc de Bierges were particularly

useful for the wide surrounds to the

external water features, the internal

swimming pool and for the stairs,

reception area and restaurant areas.

MacCormac Jamieson Prichard’s

attention to detail on Cable & Wireless

is impressive. They produced

approximately 1,600 drawings for the

project.

The complexity of the design and

the large number of special features

and fittings placed great demands

on the contractor, subcontractors and

suppliers involved in the construction

of the college.

As it has on other special projects

- such as Evans and Shalev’s Tate

gallery at St. Ives - Blanc de Bierges

rose to the occasion, It was able to do

this because it has a dedicated team,

steeped in a philosophy similar to that

of architects.

At the end of the day, 76,000

elements from a complex 16-week

manufacturing schedule were

produced exactly on time, and

delivered in 52 mixed loads to

coincide with the contractors’ phased

programme. To achieve this, staff in

the Blanc de Bierges factory worked

throughout the Christmas/New Year

holiday period.

Blanc de Bierges is proud to have

been have been involved in this

challenging project, which shows how

close collaboration between designers

and manufacturers helps to produce

outstanding buildings.

The non-slip finish and low porosity of Blanc de Bierges

were particularly useful for the wide surrounds to the

external water features, the internal swimming pool and

for the stairs, reception area and restaurant areas.



Almost 90 per cent of the Blanc de Bierges elements

used in the project were standard items from the range.

140 x 140 x 80 mm setts and kerbs in a variety of

profiles are used to mark the parking bays and the main

pedestrian routes in the car park to the north.

colour, shape & harmony

“The waterfall is a fissure in the pavilion’s plinth and special

shapes - some of the most complicated on site - were

formed to create this feature. These ‘specials’ contain the

waterfall and obscure the trough, which together with the

noise of the waterfall, creates the illusion that there is a

subterranean reservoir.”

Stephen Cherry


Blanc de Bierges components used on the Cable & Wireless Scheme

Saddlebaks

Steps

Retaining Walls

Spiral Stairways

Bespoke

Setts & Slabs

Copings

Pool Tiles

Gull ies & Kerbs

Architectural Masonry

Architectural Cladding

Street Furniture

AmphiSystemTM

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Head Office69 Northampton Road Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 9HD United KingdomTel: +44 (0)1858 410 048

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Blanc De Bierges C&W

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