At 24,000 square metres and a construction value of £36 million, the project is outstanding value for money.  This economy has been achieved via use of a simple geometry, use of repeating structural elements and a deep floor plan; roof lights and floor voids then provide natural light and ventilation at the centre of the building.  Externally the building is clad in locally sourced robust natural sandstone.

Neither quality nor vision were diluted thanks to a strong team approach; the project was actually enhanced by a collaborative approach to Value Engineering review, a process conducted with the support of the main contractor, BAM Construction.

Both the College and the people of Bradford can be proud of the David Hockney Building: a testament to clarity of vision and to the benefits of partnership.

Digital Postscript:

As part of their pioneering digital approach BAM Construction used Autodesk’s BIM 360 Field to manage the construction works. This is an iPad/Cloud-based system that accesses all project data, drawings, specifications etc. allowing site managers to carry all their information with them on site.

In order to achieve this Bond Bryan created all architectural information via a three-dimensional virtual model using Graphisoft, ArchiCAD, this and the engineers’ design information were then combined into a single model using Autodesk’s Navisworks platform.  This is an early and highly successful exemplar of the combination of information from different software.  Bond Bryan resolved some early interoperability issues by working closely with the software vendors; as a result we were commended under the title of “heroes of interoperability” in the buildingSMART 2014 global awards (SME category) held in Toronto, Canada and Graphisoft have made the David Hockney Building their “signature project” for the global release of ArchiCAD 19.