Frome Business Park
The refurbishment of Frome Tool & Gauge, FTG was designed by Michael Hitchings of Bristol based architects, Richard Towning Hill in 1964-65. The factory
is a precast concrete structure with columns at 24ft centres carrying beams which in turn carry prestressed hyperbolic roof shells at 8ft centres spanning 40ft over
the central bay.
The building had been nominated for listing due to the rarity of its construction but was refused due to the imperfect nature of the original design (most notably the cast gutters didn’t fall or work properly).
Western Building Consultants were appointed by DNA Worldwide to produce the designed refurbishment of the property back into use as serviced office accommodation and international HQ for DNA Worldwide. They were appointed after carrying out a master planning exercise at another site and producing a 3d printed white model of the plan.
The refurbishment of Frome Tool & Gauge is currently ongoing and WBC has worked with renowned interior fit out company, Interaction, to finalise the project. WBC carried out the initial building survey with its RICS & CABE accredited surveyors to establish the current condition. Asbestos was rife within
the building and concrete decay was evident in many places as well as cracking through the masonry cavity panels. Through using a thorough testing regime in the building WBC, with a number of specialist engineers and advisers, were able to demonstrate the areas of the building that needed structural repair and any
contaminated areas for remediation.
WBC produced the initial measured survey then the concept designs for the interior and exteriors of the building taking the project through full Planning Permission, CDM compliance and Building Regulations Approvals. Providing an economical yet striking improvement to the facade of the building. Utilising steel angles inset into a new ecologically sensitive timber frame to bring through the past industrial narrative of the building. The fenestration of the building was much altered to reduce the overgrazed structure to improve thermal performance, and economy through heat loss reduction and overheating to the South elevation.
The building had to be sensitively restored with fabric upgrades to insulation and full new plant and M&E. The upgrades needed to balance the industrial heritage of the building by maintaining the waveform of the roof and the industrial steel frames, mezzanine and lifting equipment. To give a true heritage
narrative.
The project involved site inspections and ongoing design development, the roof was upgraded with specialist flexible PIR insulation cut on angles to fit the ever changing roof form and tapered insulation was used to make the gutters fall correctly. One issue came from the project engineer not being able to quantify the deflection in the concrete shells once loaded with plant and insulation to any tolerance. WBC worked with the fit out contractor to devise a way of fixing the frames with overlapping gaskets that would allow for deflection in the substrate.