Archetech Issue 23 2016 | Page 146

Tesco’s Timber-Clad Envelope Sets An Example For Sustainable Supermarkets Timber as a building material is one of the most efficient, safest and cheapest forms of carbon capture and storage available to architects and engineers as a building material, making it an ideal solution for the increasingly eco-conscious retail industry. Bedford based Multi-Disciplinary Architects, Engineers and Development Consultants Woods Hardwick were tasked with turning Tesco’s outlet in Corby, Northamptonshire, into an Eco Store. This brief brought with it its own challenges, as the Archetech - Page 146 structure was to be built on a brownfield site. The land had been contaminated through its association with the Corby Steel Works, which required the construction team to work closely with the Environment Agency. From the ground up, all environmental criteria were addressed at the site to incorporate the most effective treatments. The envelope, building fabric, structural components and composition had a crucial role to play.