SSDA 2019 A W A R D
20 NSC
October 19
Said to incorporate the three
main structural design principles
of architecture, mechanical &
electrical (M&E) and structure,
North East-based software producer
Tombola’s new £7M steel-framed
headquarters in Sunderland has already
received numerous plaudits from the local
media.
Accommodating nearly 500 employees,
the 2,300m2 office building features
an exposed steel frame, along with an
integrated heating and cooling system that
has been cast into the exposed concrete
floor slabs.
S h e d Managing Director Marc Horn
says the exposed steelwork has been
aesthetically detailed to a standard rarely
seen on commercial projects.
“Most commercial schemes have all
their steelwork connections hidden in
ceilings or floor zones. The majority of the
steelwork at Tombola is visible and had to
enhance all the other parts of the design.”
Therefore, the project team needed
significant periods of collaboration to
ensure that all the detail elements were
seamlessly integrated into the design. Very
few standard ‘Green Book’ connections
have been used.
Mr Horn adds that Tombola, like many
IT-based businesses struggles to keep talent
in the North East, as the lure of larger
centres like London and California’s Silicon
Valley prove to be too enticing.
“By creating this superb new HQ
building they will be better placed to
retain talent, as the impact of this is often
underestimated. By keeping jobs and
therefore associated spending power within
our local economy the effects go far beyond
just Tombola employees.
“Being able to attract talent to the North
East, through the power of a phenomenal
place of work is also a major attraction and
boost for the local economy.”
To this end, Tombola’s new glazed
headquarters boasts modern open-plan
offices throughout its uppermost first and
second floors, while a full-height centrallypositioned
atrium will flood the inner parts
of the structure with natural light.
The ground floor has a reception
area, bistro and gym for employees, with
Tombola HQ,
Sunderland
Exposed steelwork and floor slabs adorn the
interior of a new multi-million-pound headquarters
building for a leading IT company.
/Design
/Braced_frames
/Multi-storey_office_buildings
/Floor_systems
/Visually_expressed_structural_forms
/The_Green_Books
/Steel-supported_glazed_facades_and_roofs#Atrium_Roofs_and_Sky_lights