Cheshire Oaks
Marks & Spencer
When one of the UK’s leading high street names decides to build a new store the size of 10 Olympic swimming pools you know that it’s going to make a big impression. How exciting then to be part of that impact by helping to design, engineer and install a stunning wooden ‘wave’ roof that undulates across visitors’ sightlines from both inside and outside the new Ellesmere Port store.
Challenge
Marks & Spencer wanted the Cheshire Oaks shop to embrace its commitment to building energy efficient stores that help combat climate change, reduce waste and use sustainable raw materials; helping M&S to both trade ethically, and trial new technologies that can eventually be embedded into their future store specifications.
The complex and exacting demands of the brief meant that more than 1000 architect, engineering, construction and timber experts were required to collaborate on the design, build and installation, with as many as 250 trades people and managers on site each day.
Solution
After they had completed a 3D frame analysis and model to fully understand the load paths and roof behaviours the Evolve team worked alongside B&K Structures to finalise the timber roof construction.
The result is the first retail store to have a 100% FSC-certified sweeping Glulam roof which is supported by stainless steel connections, 5000 bolts, a mezzanine with primary and secondary intumescantly painted steel beams, and columns with tree struts meeting and supporting the main roof beams. What a sight!
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