BDP wins council HQ brief

BDP has won the design competition for a new £40m office building for Northamptonshire County Council.

The new facility will allow local authority staff, currently working in 12 separate locations, to be based in a single building, which will be rated  BREEAM Excellent.

The new building is to be constructed on land that is currently used as a car park, regenerating a historically-important quarter of Northampton.

The building’s entrance will face a new public square, and leads into a four storey atrium reception and street. The building is designed as two blocks which enclose a garden quadrangle, the social hub, with informal meeting areas, ‘touchdown’ areas and other collaborative spaces grouped around it.

A full inter-disciplinary BDP team has started to work alongside the council to develop the design for the building, working toward planning permission in February 2014. Work is expected to start on site early in 2015.