Arbroath Harbour

Posted on 6 November 2009 by admin

Aluminium standing seam roofing from KeyBEMO® was specified by Baxter Clark & Paul (BCP) architects for a new visitor centre at a Scottish harbour not for the three Rs but the three Ss – security, sustainability and not least sparkle.

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Almost 2,000m² of KeyBEMO’s stucco embossed 400/65 sheets were installed by approved specialist sub-contractors Procladd (Scotland) on the multi-facetted roof of the £2 million award-winning visitor centre at Arbroath Harbour, Angus, home of the Arbroath Smokie.

“The visitor centre stands as a beacon on the quayside and the sculptural roof is an important part of the building design. The KeyBEMO product provides a 25-year guarantee, sustainability in terms of being recyclable, and its crisp finish gives the building a sparkle,” said architect Roy Clark.

The Dundee practice had not used KeyBEMO materials before but such has the success of the visitor centre been (Visit Scotland reporting double the number of visitors over the same period the previous year), BCP are now considering it for an adjoining building.

The visitor centre on the 4,000m² site of a former boatyard is a key building on the primary development site and comprises Visit Scotland multi-media visitor information and orientation centre, two retail units, a coffee shop, office, The Old Boatyard seafood restaurant, family room and well-appointed public toilets.

Constructed of steel frame, both timber-framed and traditional concrete block cavity external walls and extensive glazing, it took 17 months to build, with Procladd (Scotland) on site for five of those, installing the BBA-approved KeyBEMO sheets, and inboard gutters, welded verges and mono ridges as well as perforated acoustic and non-perforated liners, at up to and in excess of steep 45 degree pitches.

The brief from harbour owners and operators Angus Council was that “any buildings should be of a mass and scale which provide enclosure to the harbour and should not, in any event, exceed two storeys in height. The externals should reflect and reinforce the harbour character, with a strong preference for a building form and materials referenced to the Scottish east coast vernacular, albeit not necessarily traditional.”

BCP’s response was a design that reflects the boathouse vernacular, with sympathetic finishes throughout – that as well as meeting the requirement to be robust in the face of such an unforgiving coastal setting – were simple and durable.

Roy Clark added: “The materials generally are black tarry boards, glass, white and blue painted harled walls, galvanised steel chunky circular columns and clusters of chains acting as downpipes. The stucco embossed aluminium roof fits with the palette of colours while the inboard guttering provides for crisp eaves detailing. The lines of the standing seams, with welded hips etc accentuate the geometry.”

The Arbroath Harbour project won Procladd the Roof, Wall and Facade Systems category at the inaugural Scottish NFRC awards.

Joint managing directors Keith Burrell and Brian Crookston said: “It was a very challenging project due to the extreme roof pitches and angular roof slopes but the KeyBEMO product performed very well and we had no problems installing it.”

It also won BCP architects the Dundee Institute of Architects’ Regeneration Award 2008.

Installed By: Procladd (Scotland) Ltd

Arbroath Harbour

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