Princess Buildings, Halifax
Briefing Note
Briefing Document
This document gives a brief outline of the main elements of the Princess
Buildings Project. It is intended to provide a context for the project and its
current status. The document will assist you, and your organisation, understand
our requirements for the project. It should be read in conjunction with the PQQ
and OJEU notices .
Princess Buildings, Halifax
Introduction and Background to the Town Centre Office Strategy
The Halifax Town Centre Office Strategy (TCOS) is to deliver £7.6 million of net
savings to the Council through rationalisation of the Council’s existing office
accommodation. The current estate is spread across a number of disparate
properties and the intention is to reduce eleven properties into three core
headquarter buildings one of which is Princess Buildings. The programme
includes for implementation of a new smarter working policy which will allow for
consolidation of staff into fewer premises working from fewer desks.
Background to the Princess Buildings Project
The Grade II Princess Buildings is considered to include all buildings as detailed
and shown in the plan below:
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The Listed Buildings start on the corner of Princess Street and Crossley Street,
extending down Crossley Street and turning onto Northgate , ending with and
including the accommodation located above and adjacent to the ‘archway’
leading through to Star Yard to the rear of these buildings. The adjacent 1960’s
extension at Princess Street, together with the yard immediately to the rear of
this, make up the site.
The building totals approximately 4,120 sqm (44,350 sqft). The existing
environment is in need of relatively significant investment to address backlog
work built up due to underinvestment in previous years consistent with a ‘just in
time’ approach to repairs and maintenance.
A feasibility study has been undertaken which has considered a number of
options, and the Council has chosen to proceed with one of these options. The
primary and key features of the confirmed refurbishment programme of Princess
Buildings include:
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Levelling of the ground floor areas internally around the current central
shop unit fronting Crossley Street, to provide a consistency of floor plate
and allow this level to form the relationship to the new rear extension.
A comprehensive remodelling of the building that creates a new vertical
service core to the rear of the existing buildings (including toilet facilities,
lift and stairs) thereby improving horizontal circulation within the building.
Extensive refurbishment of the interior of the existing historic buildings
and
Redevelopment of the current 1960’s annex (to be demolished and
rebuilt) in order to provide accessible, better quality accommodation more
in context with the historic buildings.
The project involves the part-demolition, remodelling and refurbishment of the
Grade II listed Princess Buildings in the centre of Halifax Town. The town centre
location and contained rear yards poses significant constraints from a site
boundary perspective.
Access to the Star Yard via the existing archway further exacerbates the
constrained nature of the site and will form a pivotal part of the logistical
considerations during the early demolition phase of the project. Neighbouring
businesses and tenants must also be considered during the early, more
disruptive phase of construction activities.
As noted, the majority of the Princess Buildings is Grade II listed – with the
exception of the 1960’s annex extension, which is to be demolished and reconstructed in materials more sympathetic to the existing Halifax Architecture as
part of the scheme. English Heritage have a strong interest in the works
associated with the retention of both the facades externally as well as key
existing architectural features within the building. Their input as a key
stakeholder will continue through the construction phase of the project.
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Internally, the project involves the adoption of the Corporate Standards which
are a result of the introduction of a Smarter Working policy within the Authority.
The Standards have been developed during an extensive consultation process
between the Authority and the appointed consultant team on an earlier phase
project of the Town Centre Office Strategy (TCOS). The intention of the adoption
of these standards is that the specifying of FF&E will not only rationalise the
Authority’s estate and give more of a sense of cohesion / continuity, but also
reduce maintenance costs etc.
The Authority have an estate wide benchmark of achieving BREEAM Very Good,
and the Princess Building’s will be striving for this as a minimum based upon
2008 Assessment. From a services perspective, the building will in the majority
of areas be naturally ventilated, with actuator driven existing sash windows
along the existing facades at various levels promoting cross-flow ventilation.
Mechanical plant will provide comfort cooling and extract ventilation to the
Ground Floor Adult Learning Areas & Toilet Facilities (all levels) respectively.
Progress to Date
The project is currently at RIBA Stage D and a full planning application was
submitted on the 17th January 2014 . The project is fully funded through the
Council.
The Council has appointed the following team who have developed the project to
date and will continue take the project forward to Stages E/F.
Architect /Design Team: Bauman Lyons
Cost Consultant/CDM Coordinator: Pick Everard/Gleeds
Project Management: Rider Levett Bucknall/Buro Four
Summary of Design Concept
Princess Buildings are currently a confusing maze of cellular spaces with
extremely poor access and circulation that does not encourage teams to work
together or offer a good working environment. Its inefficient circulation and
small cellar spaces also provide relatively low levels of workspace for the size of
building. Additionally, much of the character of the Grade II listed building has
been hidden or compromised by a series of successive and largely insensitive
alterations and adaptations over a number of years.
The brief requires that these issues are addressed to increase capacity and
provide a work environment in line with the new Corporate Standards.
Levels & Access
The Princess buildings comprises 3 main buildings; the Bank on Princess Street,
Nos 1 & 3 Crossley Street and Nos 19-23 on Northgate. Each of these buildings
has different floor levels ; there is a 4m level change from the ground level of
the bank to the ground level of the Northgate Shops.
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There are effectively 2 points at which the level changes occur at the junctions
between the 3 sections of building.
Rear projections to the Crossley Street section of the building each have their
own staircase as well as some additional accommodation, much of which is at
another level again to the main block. The staircases are very steep and unfit for
regular use, as well as offering an extremely confusing and unclear circulation
route which was designed to access each individual shop, and which has no
relevance to how a "combined block" needs to be accessed.
The strategy is to remove these rear projections [and their staircases] to provide
a new circulation space. This incorporates two new lifts and staircases which are
located between the three buildings so as to negotiate the complex level
differences and make all sections of the floor plate accessible. The staircases in
the bank building are incorporated into the circulation strategy and the stair way
in the Northgate building is reconfigured to address the levels of the adjacent
Crossley Street block.
These 2 new circulation cores are linked by a new "street" and atrium space
which creates a clear circulation route and focus to the building. There are
informal seating spaces, kitchenettes and toilets in this area so that interaction
between the teams is encouraged.
This new atrium / street can be accessed through the banking hall at one end
and from the entrance on North gate to the other. The ground floor of the
atrium will have some additional short stair flights and platform lifts to negotiate
the level change as the building steps down Crossley Street.
Internal Walls & Cellular Space
The aspiration is to achieve an open plan space. There are limitations on
achieving this caused by the existing structure. Our proposal is to retain the
walls that run perpendicular to the facades but remove the majority of the walls
that run parallel to the facades. Masonry piers supporting the roof trusses will
be reinstated with openings to suit the new layouts along the rear elevation to
the Crossley Buildings. This will create a series of large cellular spaces that run
from the front elevation to the back atrium that are lit form the existing street
elevation and by the atrium and can be cross ventilated.
Extension to Princess Street
The existing extension is to be demolished and replaced by a new larger
extension more sympathetic to its setting on the street and adjacency to the
listed building. This new extension will be built with the same finished floor
levels as the adjacent building rather than at half landings as currently.
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Section running from Princess Street To Market Street. The two stair and lift cores are shown
between the retained existing building shown in black with a new top lit atrium sat between them.
Ground floor plan – Not to scale
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Project Location
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Princess Buildings
Princess Street looking South from in front of the Town Hall. Princess Buildings is on the immediate left
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Crossley Street looking up the hill from the junction with Northgate
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