Number One Riverside

Number One Riverside is a highly efficient and versatile office building for Rochdale Borough Council that successfully brings together 1,700 staff from a number of diverse sites across the borough. Our proposal responds to the adjacent River Roch, acting as a catalyst for regeneration of the riverside and town centre.

The design solution embodies the concept of an office as a versatile living space. By dividing the program into a variety of zones and areas which are tuned to the specific work processes and requirements, the work spaces deliver a landscape of settings that are segmented and yet fully connected. In 2014, Number One Riverside was awarded the title of ‘Best of the Best’ by the British Council for Offices.

Summary:
Civic Offices and Library

Location:
Rochdale, England

Size:
17,000m²

Budget:
£42,500,000

Client:
Rochdale Borough Council

Construction:
March 2011 – December 2012

Opening:
March 2013

The building is unreservedly modern with slick, light, and spacious interiors providing attractive views out to the surrounding town.

Judging Panel
Civic Trust Awards 2014

Collaboration and connectivity

With the staff having worked previously in a disconnected manner across thirty three different buildings, it was important to create a sense of unity in order to develop effective new work environments.

To deliver the client’s aspiration for operational efficiency by bringing together council departments under one roof, our design was required to create a workplace that promoted collaboration and information sharing. To do this we analysed the specific needs of each of the individual departments and developed a model which provided a combination of dedicated spaces and shared spaces, each with strong physical and visual connections.

Number One Riverside Rochdale Office Floorplate Model Option 1 S
Number One Riverside Rochdale Office Floorplate Model Option 4 S
Number One Riverside Rochdale Office Floorplate Model Option 3 S
Number One Riverside Rochdale Office Level 4 Floor Plan L

Our concept is realised as a series of weaving floor plates which create a rich, varied and interconnected internal workplace, capable of accommodating a variety of work settings. The design of the building’s skin delivers strong connections between the workplace and the building’s riverside setting. This arrangement creates connectivity with the community it serves and promotes the principle of social transparency.

The design provides a dynamism and fluidity which is inspiring and optimistic. The building is grand and personal; quiet and loud; private and transparent.

A hard working office

FaulknerBrowns Architects created a design solution that has certainly succeeded in meeting Rochdale Council’s exacting brief for a great looking and energy efficient building that would create an excellent working environment.

Stephen Pressman
Rochdale Development Agency

Awards

  • BCO Awards 2014
    Best of the Best - Best Workplace in the UK
  • BCO Awards 2014
    National Corporate Workplace of the Year
  • BCO Northern Awards 2014
    Regional Corporate Workplace of the Year
  • RIBA North West Awards 2014
    RIBA Regional Award
  • Civic Trust Awards 2014
    Commendation
  • RICS North West Awards 2014
    Building Through Innovation
  • Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Awards 2013
    Building of the Year
  • Mixology North Awards 2013
    Public Sector Project of the Year
  • Concrete Society Awards 2013
    Building of the Year

Press

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