The new civic headquarters for Harrogate Borough Council have been credited as a regional finalist in the 2019 Selwyn Goldsmith Awards for Universal Design and Civic Trust Awards.  The new council offices were designed by Yorkshire based architects Farrell & Clark.

Operating from a 1930’s headquarters building and four administration offices, Harrogate Borough Councils’ brief was to provide a single site for staff, councillors and the public facilitating a ‘One Council’ culture with reduced running costs and improved operational efficiency.

Built over five stories, the design maximises internal daylight and natural ventilation with the majority of the building integrating intelligent Cool-phase units with manually opening windows and controlled louvered ventilation for managed occupant comfort. Pre-cast concrete floors and roof provide thermal mass whilst curved external walls are Structural Steel Framed with traditionally built local Yorkshire stone panels or curtain walling with profiled aluminium cladding.

The Cool-phase system is energy and carbon saving, it uses an energy efficient variable speed fan with no compressors, pumps or other energy intensive components.  A 5A single phase mains supply is all that is required.

Natural ventilation brings a steady supply of fresh air into the civic headquarters, maintaining CO2 levels and expelling stale air to the atmosphere using the natural buoyancy of thermal forces. 

Monodraught natural ventilation and cooling systems have proved to be consistently effective and reliable over many years.  The constant reporting and feedback to Monodraught’s dedicated R&D team enables our products to be improved in their manufacture, aesthetics and performance.

*Image credit to John Kees Photography