The Pavilion, Birtle Brook

CJ Partnership was commissioned to design The Pavilion as part of Birtle Brook Retirement Village. Initially it was conceived as refreshments area for guests using the bowling green, but expanded following the client's requests. It opened at Christmas 2010. At ground level there is a bar, reception and dining rooms, at first floor there is a mezzanine and external deck. The restaurant has wonderful views of the green and fantastic landscaping designed around Birtle Brook which runs from the reservoir down around the edge of the green past The Pavilion and on through the remainder of the retirement village.

With regard to building design, the laminated timber beams are economical, strong and, in this case more aesthetically pleasing than steel or concrete counterparts. They are versatile and are one-sixth the weight of a reinforced concrete beam which allowed for a reduction in the amount of structural support to the building therefore also making it more economical due to savings in transport and foundations etc.

The building is designed to take advantage of dense thermal mass provided by the stone walls and tiled concrete floors. Generous glazing allows solar radiation into the open-plan spaces which is absorbed by the dense materials and then released slowly back into the building when temperatures cool. The thermal properties of the stone mediate the heat thereby reducing the fluctuation of temperatures. This reduces central heating demands, thus minimising energy consumption and carbon emissions. The zinc roof is projected over the glazing to provide solar shading, eliminating high-angled summer sunshine from the space, reducing unwanted heat gains and ensuring the dining spaces do not require artificial cooling.

To do away with the need for rainwater pipes to the rear elevation, a structural column has been transformed to allow the rainwater to cascade down the metal column.