Local company looking forward to the future.

Latest news from James Campbell Associates

13/08/2008

This exciting new contemporary glazed extension to Deployments head officeis located on the main gateway feeder road to Rochdale Town centre, it is a prominent location in a mixed area of building types; for instance, there is Beech House School, Residential properties, a funeral parlour, Freehold flats on the opposite side of Manchester Road and other businesses located further down Manchester Road. The uniqueness of the location has lead to an exciting development opportunity to benefit the town and local businesses; this has been the backbone for the design concept.

The site is located at the crest of Manchester Road, the main gateway from the A627 and M62 motorway junction 20 into Rochdale Town Centre. The prominence of the site coupled with the drive and enthusiasm by the Director of Deployment has lead to an exciting design proposal. The immediate surrounding buildings are of traditional form but with no real architectural definition, Deployment is surrounded with a varying type and style of architectural type buildings with a broad range of uses from residential properties to funeral directors, the surrounding buildings also do not impose any dominance or denomination in height, as again the buildings vary in height. The site is currently the head office location for Deployment Ltd; this is their flagship building for this well established prestigious employment company. Deployment was established in 1989 as a recruitment agency supplying staff to local transport distribution companies, the company has four physical branches in Oldham, Bolton, Wakefield and Rochdale being the head office. The site and building was acquired in 1994, it was the former finance and insurance office, the building used to be a single storey flat roof building and in 2001 Deployment obtained planning permission to construct a new first floor extension and full pitched roof, the car park, landscaping and external boundary walls were also upgraded, the new facility offered a training unit and meeting location.

The extension offers excellent internal usage for Deployment’s operation, on the ground floor three extra offices will be provided and on the first floor the conference room is extended. The external design will be reflected internally and will offer an exciting environment both inside and out, the extension is planned to add further offices and larger training / meeting facilities and to further enhance the companies profile and improve its investment stock.

The existing Deployment building is symmetrical in design, the contrast of the new extension will allow a hint of the symmetry to remain, the vision behind the new extension has been born form Deployments drive to invest in people and buildings, they wanted a new extension to make a statement, something contemporary and different that married to the existing building but was separated with a bold contrast whilst stamping a mark of individuality.

The new extension shares the same form on all three elevations not dissimilar to the existing building, the front and rear elevations are of the same form and hence it was important to maintain this on the new extension. The new extension has been designed purposely to offer a contrast and a fusion with the existing building, the extension is bold and stark but also warm and welcoming and offers a pleasant environment and a transition to head towards the future with excitement, it is an intricate, bold and quite deliberate enhancement of Deployments flagship headquarters.

The new extension is well proportioned and balanced in relation to the existing building and does not detract from the surrounding proportions of the adjacent buildings, the proposed development respects the heights of the surrounding properties and sits comfortably in the street scene neither dominating nor being unduly subservient to its immediate neighbours, in terms of height and massing. The shape and design initially came from the shape of the boundary at the end of the patch of land, it is not square but a slight curve therefore the end curve of the extension was utilised, the next aspect was the slight splay from ground floor dwarf wall to the eaves of the extension, this splay adds to the dramatic effect of the extension, it also serves to reduce reflection as the light will be diverted to the ground meaning that on sunny days the reflection will not divert the visual emphasis from passers by. The use of a large eaves overhang offers a sun screen to the first floor occupants during the afternoon, it is envisaged that some form of sun louvers will be utilised to further reduce the glare of the sun.

A small element of materials and form are extracted from the surrounding elements but the contrast of glass and steel are introduced to create a development which has individuality and works within its environment. The Use of traditional building materials, which relate to the elements around the proposed development and the local architecture and material usage assists in providing some continuity with the traditional features of the area, however the main concept is a contrast away from the traditional form of design and construction.

Deployment operates in a very diverse and highly competitive market in which there are around 14,000 recruitment entities in the UK, with Deployment being rated by ‘Plimsoll’ in the top 250. Deployment places around 500 staff a day. Over the year to March 2007 the company paid wages to 1,350 individuals and achieved growth in turnover of 37% the vast majority being centred on Rochdale as the largest contributor to the business, the planned growth over the next 3 years is 40%, this is why a prestigious company like Deployment find it essential to create a statement with their new extension to their head office in Rochdale.