Arrival of steel frame marks landmark stage in the construction of Stephen George + Partners new Leicester office

A landmark moment in the construction of Stephen George + Partners’ new office building in Leicester will be reached this week with the arrival and assembly on site of the steel frame structure.

Some 35 tonnes of steel carried on three delivery vehicles will arrive at the site in Grove Park, Enderby where a team from Nottinghamshire-based North Midland Construction will assemble the two-storey building framework.

The new office building showcases Stephen George + Partners’ capabilities in design and sustainability to create a light and vibrant new workspace for the company’s employees. Elements of the steel frame itself will play a significant role in the finished design and has necessitated a great deal of care in the steel’s detailing and finishing to ensure it looks perfect in the finished product. The steel frame has been fabricated by Derbyshire-based FMP Ltd.

“The construction of the steel frame represents a significant stage in any project. As an architect, it’s a delight to finally see where the building sits and it starts to make the project that bit more real.

“Whilst most of the steel frame will be hidden in the finished building, there are elements of it that will very much be on display. When I was designing the office building I thought it would be nice to have these elements of the steel frame on display as an honest expression of its support structure. For instance, the brise-soleil, the first-floor balcony, the entrance canopy and the terrace decking overlooking the lake will feature perimeter steel edge detailing. There’s a common language that runs around all of those features and extends through to the staircase inside, presenting a truthfulness in the materials used.” Stuart Hancox, Director, Stephen George + Partners

The building at Grove Park will boast the latest sustainable technologies, including solar panels and water-based heating and cooling which substantially reduce harmful chemicals often used in HVAC systems, and wooden louvred brise-soleils which reduce the amount of sun falling on the large windows, lowering solar gain and the associated cooling load.

Construction of the steel frame and daily progress on the project can be viewed via an onsite timelapse camera: http://sgp.reachtimelapse.co.uk/leicesteroffice/

Completion of the office building is expected by February 2018.