Ground Engineering, Hard Landscaping, Traffic Control, Leisure & Recreation, Soft Landscaping
Water, Wastewater, Climate, Soil, Energy, Recycling, Technology, Production
Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Heating, Transport Systems, Light, Power, Safety
Complete Buildings, External Envelope, Structural Fittings, Building Products & Materials
Waters is a leading company in its field of mass spectrometry and has a purpose-built headquarters and high specification research and development building. The building's glass atrium, which runs the length of the building, was to have two glass water features, elegant in design, and which would produce wonderful water movement, picking up the sunlight to refract the different water effects. The design had to have different elements of interest.
There were a number of challenges:
Tills Innovations used two complementing materials - glass and stainless steel - each of which were designed to have consideration to detail. There needed to be more than one element of water effect and this was provided by the radial water ripples from the four bubbling fountains, each of which then merged together.
The second detail was the rain effect all around the perimeter. To achieve this, many edge profiles were tested at Tills' works to provide the consistent effect without the water running under the glass, and to operate with minimal water to stop splash. As part of this solution the installation required the glass to be perfectly level with the use of 0.5mm shims.
The sun through the atrium picks out all the water effects and also the beautiful materials and detail. The black lined pool was made perfectly smooth and gives an infinity appearance when people look through the water.
These water features set off the ambience that is carried through the whole of the atrium. There are various coffee points along the atrium for staff to which the water features give interest when making a drink or while strolling past to the different departments.
With this being their headquarters, it is visited by many prestigious clients and, as always, first impressions last. The water features enforce the high quality, high precision and leading work in their field.
