Built in 2020 for NHS and Kent County Council and designed by HMY Architects, Southborough Hub is another successful joint partnership with main contractor Baxall Construction Ltd.
The Hub includes a new medical centre, library, theatre/hall, coffee shop, community rooms, and town council offices, together with retail space, forming a new town centre for Southborough. This landmark building with a GIFA of 2,250m2 is of a unique design providing multi- functional spaces internally, whilst externally the landscape design of the plays a key role within the development and delivers a welcoming and inclusive public area with private gardens that encourage a sustainable community.
Externally the new building is clad with multiple different cladding types including diamond shape zinc shingle and polished ceramic brick slips, all to stunning effect. Internally key features include the three large 10m high glulam portal frames to the theatre. The glulam posts and beams forming the portal frames were connected using 3.5 tonnes of steel flitch and base plates all pre-drilled off site to exacting precision enabling our site crews to effortlessly construct the portal frames on site. One of the key technical factors when designing and constructing the medical centre was ensuring the onerous acoustic requirements were met. Following close collaboration between Streif designers and the acoustic consultants a number of key details were incorporated into the design and construction of the Streif wall panels to ensure flanking sound was eliminated between the consulting rooms.
Streif are very excited to have delivered this important public building for the Southborough community which will provide a much-needed social hub and facilities for years to come.
