D-on were appointed following a competition to design a new headquarters building for Rural Community Network (RCN).
The building is single storey and has 3 primary spaces: gallery entrance, conference facility, offices.
The glass covered entrance/display space is approached alongside a curved brick wall enclosing the conference area. Offices are arranged around a central glass covered, open plan, administration area, and are subdivided by lightweight partitions for maximum flexibility.
With the abundance of natural light flooding into the core areas and indirectly into the offices via clerestory windows, the need for artificial lights is reduced. Passive solar gain, welcome in the Winter, is controlled in Summer as the overhanging eaves block direct sun to the offices during these months. Manually operated roof vents allow warm air to rise and be expelled, while the circulation of air from the clerestory and external windows cools the building.
