Runnymede Civic HQ.

Architects Feilden Clegg Bradley teamed up with Limetec on another cutting-edge new build scheme – this time, for Runnymede Borough Council’s state-of-the-art central office complex in Addlestone, Surrey.

The project follows on from the partnerships’ previous success with Heelis, the National Trust’s recently completed HQ, and has a similar aim: using energy-efficient design to create a sustainable and fit for purpose 21st century building that encourages new ways of working and cultural change.

The new Runnymede Civic Headquarters is a catalyst for the regeneration of Addlestone town centre. The scheme provides a range of facilities including around 6,000 sq metres of space, with workspaces for up to 300 people. It also creates public areas, a council chamber and other civic spaces, a new public library and police station.

Limetec’s hydraulic lime mortar, a modern day replica of traditional lime mortar, met the client’s brief perfectly with its ability to eliminate the need for cement and facilitate future recycling criteria.

Lime gives extra plasticity to mortar, enabling it to flex more than normal sand and cement mortars. This means less mortar cracking and makes bricks easier to recycle when a building has reached the end of its natural life. Typically, cement-based mortar is stronger than brick, making it harder to remove from masonry when a building is dismantled or demolished.

Lime mortar also offers a number of other advantageous properties. With the dexterity to accommodate slight movements in the building caused by settlement or thermal shock without cracking, it reduces the need for expansion joints. It also remains workable for up to 24 hours, has a long-proven performance, offers enhanced aesthetics over similar products and is breathable.

The Runnymede Borough Council scheme is a shining example of how sustainable materials can be used to create large scale, new build projects. Limetec lime mortar was created in bulk, on-site for this very purpose.

Using an innovative silo mixing station which can store up to 35 tonnes of dry material, ready mixed mortar can be produced at the simple touch of a button. This not only guarantees mix proportions and supply but also eliminates wastage, again reinforcing it as a highly environmentally friendly product.

Runnymede Borough Council Headquarters provides a sustainable working environment with exemplary office accommodation. It follows phase 1 of the project masterplan in Addlestone, which delivered a new Community Centre in 2005.