Concrete inside and out

The next Concrete Elegance lecture features two award-winning projects presented by their designers. Each project has been sensitively and creatively developed to respond to their own, but very different context. Concrete and energy efficiency are common themes, with expertly crafted exposed concrete structures on the inside and out.

Speakers include:

- Chris Loyn, principal architect at Loyn & Co Architects
Outhouse in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

- Marion Brereton, director at Berman Guedes Stretton
- Magdalena Cheda, architect at Berman Guedes Stretton
New Academic Wing, Wolfson College in Oxford

- Steve Williams, structural engineer at Price & Myers
New Academic Wing, Wolfson College in Oxford

Case studies:

Outhouse in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

Outhouse is an exemplary concrete house on the Welsh borders, embedded into the south facing slope of a hillside overlooking the Wye Valley. Barely visible from the north this single storey structure is hidden beneath a highly insulated, intensive green roof that extends the landscape over the largely open plan accommodation below, unifying the series of inside and outside spaces. The surfaces of the cast in-situ concrete structure are left exposed, providing smooth, solid surroundings and have been described as feeling ‘warm and luxurious’. The exposed structure also continues outside, framing views and sheltered courtyards. The house has been designed to be a new highly sustainable, energy efficient dwelling incorporating sustainable technologies such as whole house ventilation with ground to air heat exchanger and on completion recorded airtightness is better than the minimum for Passivhaus standards. The house is the first private home to make the RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist for 15 years.

New Academic Wing, Wolfson College in Oxford

The New Academic Wing to Wolfson College was opened earlier this year and represents the completion of a two phase project incorporating a new entrance and auditorium, seminar rooms, offices, a café and library extension. The use of concrete is at the core of the development, using a palette of textures responding to the original buildings designed by Powell and Moya Architects. These include smooth in-situ concrete and its iconic Cornish blue granite faced precast cladding. Concrete is also fundamental to the building’s low energy strategy, utilising its thermal mass with natural ventilation.

Chaired by Elaine Toogood of The Concrete Centre.