The Crown Estate: Savill Gardens
Windsor Great Park, Surrey
Architect: Glenn Howells Architects
Structural Engineer: Buro Happold & Haskins Robinson Waters
Principal Contractor: William Verry
Senedd: Welsh National Assembly Building
The Senedd is a sustainable building that sits overlooking Cardiff Bay and is home to the National Assembly for Wales. Opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 2006 the building houses the main debating chamber, several separate meeting rooms and large spaces which are open to the public. The building was the first in Wales to receive a BREEAM Excellent rating and was nominated for the 2006 Stirling Prize. The building is dominated by the steel roof structure with its timber soffit. The roof cantilevers over a fully glazed façade and is supported by bespoke circular hollow section steel columns with cast tapered ends creating the pin connections top and bottom. Whilst a large proportion of the complex steel frame provided by SH Structures is hidden within the timber cladding the main feature columns and bracing along with the façade steelwork are all exposed. The detailing of the connections gives the appearance that the roof is only gently touching the supports. Within the building is a central flue which is topped by a rotating cowl which assists with ventilation but also introduces natural light into the debating chamber. Among the many awards secured by the building was the Structural Steel Design Award in 2006.
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