Nora Grace HallTring, Hertfordshire
The market town of Tring has a backdrop of architecturally rich buildings, and the town centre has a strong individual character with many shops and small businesses along the High Street and alleyways.
The existing Nora Grace Community Hall and Spider Park sit just out the Conservation Area. The local council were seeking to provide a replacement hall that would become a revitalised community focal point. The building was to be constructed to Passivhaus standards in order to create a low operational cost burden for future generations and to provide a benchmark example for future development. A key desire was to have the building feature and celebrate local materials and local craft.
To remain open and accessible to all members of the community it was desirable to have most of the accommodation at ground level. Very little of the programme benefited from being on a first-floor level. If a two story strategy were to be pursued then extra area would be required for circulation space, fire egress, staircases, and lifts. The design strategy therefore endeavored to make the whole building function at ground level.
The design pursued a circular plan form which although unusual does provide several very beneficial aspects that will contribute to a successful building. When compared to a rectangular floor plan of similar floor areas a circular one will provides upwards of 67% less perimeter wall area. This not only reduces,
1. the overall building fabric heat loss performance thus reducing ongoing operational carbon emissions.
2. the overall volume of building materials which again reduce carbon emissions related to construction.
3. the overall construction and ongoing running costs over time.
The external envelope will be clad and constructed from natural low embodied energy materials that last and weather well. As far as possible the materials should reflect and celebrate the local traditions, crafts, and resources. The main materials on all the facades will be local chalk flint loosely packed into wire gabion baskets and plug planted with sedum and other opportunities for flora and fauna. Flint is an abundant local resource of robust zero carbon construction materials that has a long history within the Chiltern area. It will be sourced where possible from local fields. Gabion basket construction allows the use of flint in a simple and economic manner when compared to traditional lime mortared knapped flint walls.
The external facade functions as a living ‘garden wall’ in the English landscape tradition. The wall is articulated with recessed seating providing areas where visitors can relax and watch over young children at play in the park.
Project Name: Nora Grace Hall
Location: Tring, Hertfordshire