Mace Group

Information

Mace has been commissioned to develop a masterplan for the ‘ailing' civic quarter in the town centre for Reading Borough Council. This multi phased programme is expected, when completed, to comprise a new civic centre, theatre, library and mixed use retail and residential developments.

The first phase - to replace the existing building which is beyond economic repair - is a new 12,000 sq.m. Civic Centre. An environmentally sustainable building with a very low carbon footprint will be the catalyst for the Council's business transformation project through the implementation of news ways of working and the flexible use of space for the 980 staff.

The new Civic Centre building in Reading will not only provide an attractive, efficient low energy environment for staff and members of the public; it will also be a catalyst for organisational change, flexible working and efficient practices that will transform delivery of services to the public, and in turn transform public perception of the Local Authority. The development of a masterplan for the Hosier Street area demonstrates how construction of a new Civic Headquarters will drive regeneration in a neglected section of Reading town centre. The new Civic Headquarters on Hosier Street will provide the catalyst for regeneration of the whole area, by providing the first phase of this masterplan.

The intention of the masterplan, is to create a new focal point for the civic life of Reading, with the council offices, theatre, town library, shops, cafes and housing gathered around inviting new public routes and spaces.

Mace was originally approached through the South-East Centre of Excellence (SECE, now IESE), to undertake a feasibility study on a civic quarter masterplan and the reprovision of the Civic Headquarters building for Reading Borough Council in 2006. The study assessed the viability of the masterplan through the development of a number of schemes, ensuring that any reprovision of the civic offices would maximize the site's potential.

Sustainability
One key objective of this project is sustainability, embedded through design and construction methodology to achieve a significant reduction of the carbon footprint and energy consumption performance to approximately 40% of the current civic offices. This will ensure that Reading Borough Council can lead by example in Reading's "green agenda" and deliver a BREEAM excellent building. Reading Borough Council have also engaged the Carbon Trust to gain additional funding for the improved performance of this building. A carbon emissions target of 30kgCO2/m²/a is achievable and will put the council at the leading edge of environmental performance in the UK. It also compares very well with the figure for the existing building which is likely to be closer to 90-100kgCO2/m2/a.

Regeneration
The centre of Reading does not reflect the town's status, and has suffered somewhat as a result of post war development. By creating new facilities which attempt to repair the urban environment and radically address sustainability issues, the Borough Council can be seen as leading the development of Reading's future efficiency in the workplace. The new 13,600m2 Civic Building would adopt flexible working for its current staff delivering a working practice for 980 staff at a ratio of 3 to 2 working on 655 workstations.

The target key deliverables:

• To make efficient, cost-effective use of office accommodation
• To provide good value for money
• To facilitate further improvement in staff performance
• Flexible working
• To regenerate a dilapidated area of Reading into a thriving centre for the civic functions
• Significant improvements in energy performance

Photo Gallery

Click the relative image to enlarge.