Exhibition House

Ziggurat were very pleased to be asked to make planning and design amendments to this project built in the grounds of The Garth, Bicester, home of Bicester Town Council. Originally designed by the Sir Terry Farrell Partnership, the main contractor asked us to make design changes to increase 'buildability' and submit the necessary planning applications and Building Regulations submissions. We then produced working drawings for the placement of the energy saving fittings, construction of the staircase, the Photo Voltaic cells on the roof and many other 'Eco features'.

This was built primarily as a showcase for the eco features and energy efficient equipment which were installed. These included;Rain Water HarvestingPhoto Voltaic cellsLocally sourced materialsTriple glazed doors and windowsHigh thermal mass ceiling boardsLow energy lightingLow energy kitchen appliancesUnderfloor heating coilsMechanicl Ventilation and Heat Recovery system.Larch cladding from sustainable forestsLocally produced Bekstone masonry and artificial roofing slates,and many others.Because this building was built as an exhibition house ( and not a 'show house' as some expected)and was therefore open to the public, it had to be designed and built as a public building, witha disabled Wc on the ground floor, an ambulant disabled staircase, disabled access ramps and handrails and signage etc - quite testing in a building approximately 10m x 7m!The building is open to the public during the week, and is staffed by people who can explain the build method ( it is built to Passiv standards and has huge levels of insulation and air-tightness) and fittings. There are also leaflets to take away and displays showcasing the equipment and its manufacturers.Because of its location adjacent to the Council offices, this building was only given temporary planning permission, lasting for two years and is due to be removed in February 2013.In order to achieve 'passiv haus' standards, the quadruple glazed windows needed to open inwards.