19 Jan 2011
Besam enhances environmentally-friendly youth center
Young people in the community of Teesdale, Durham, UK helped architects design "The Hub" using the latest sustainabile building techniques, including Besam revolving doors.
The newly built youth project in Barnard Castle in the UK is providing a range of leisure, sporting, educational and recreational facilities aimed at 13-19 year olds. The highly innovative building design had to meet a number of challenging environmental and operational demands, not least an entrance solution that provides uninterrupted access for BMX riders through reception to the track.
Working with Besam UK to identify the ideal solution, architects specified two UniTurn revolving doors to provide a range of benefits including:
- Straight line access for BMX and disabled traffic
- An environmental seal on the building
- Maintaining a constant welcoming entrance
The building itself won a local architectural award for sustainability and the Besam UniTurns, by providing complete separation of the outdoor and indoor environments, make a significant contribution to the energy efficiency of the facility.
The Hub is set under a double curved grass roof to help keep the interior naturally cool in the summertime. Other environmental credentials include a biomass boiler, a passive natural ventilation system, on-site water treatment system, rainwater harvesting feeding the on-site lake, ample cycle parking, and a display in the reception area monitoring energy use.