New Square, Bedfont Lakes
Heathrow, Middlesex

Jane Burridge at Michael Hopkins and Partners

Built on reclaimed land, the Bedfont Lakes business park and associated country park, was a joint development between MEPC and IBM. Michael Hopkins and Partners prepared the masterplan and were the architects for the three buildings for IBM whilst Edward Cullinan Architects designed the remaining four buildings as speculative offices.

The 3 storey, 18m deep, air-conditioned, buildings are arranged around a formal square over a triple level sunken car park. The Hopkins buildings - at the Northern end of the square - are in the Miesian tradition, refined, geometrically rigorous and expressing truth to materials. The exposed steel frame - diminishing in size as the loading reduces up the building - incorporates a steel casting that connects columns and beams and cleverly accommodates the differences between the columns at each level.

Responsibility at MHP for the key elements of the steel frame, internal steel works and feature spiral stair, was taken by Jane Burridge.

Completion: 1992

 
Client: MEPC/IBM Joint Venture
Structural and Fire Engineer: Buro Happold
Services Engineer: FHP Partnership
Quantity Surveyor: Bucknall Austin
Main contractor: Costain Construction Ltd
Floor Area: 185,000sqft