Jupiter Conference Centre

Working for Mario Minchella Architects, Dene's services were used to assist in delivering the newJupiter Centre at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC), part of the Sunderland Software City project.

The former one storey conference centre is now a two storey, hi-tech office development designed specifically for software companies. 

It now forms a striking image on the banks of the river Wear and is part of a larger regeneration project designed to create a software industry in the North East.

Technical Specifications

• Aluminium Curtain wall glazing system – incorporating argon-insulated solar control glass units
  
  
• Lightweight Steel framing with rendered insulation – to provide a high level of thermal performance and a jointless appearance to the external walls. The same finish could then be applied to the existing brickwork to bring the old building and new addition together seamlessly
  
  
• Small balcony areas are proposed across three elevations which offer external recreation spaces with views of the river for the building users but, due to their location, do not compromise adjacent buildings. This included a paving ballasted external terrace over office accommodation below
  
  
• Single ply membrane roofing was chosen for its appearance and suitability for the complex geometry of the chosen roof form. High performance insulation was used for the gull wing roof to keep a slender roof canopy. This insulation was tapered to the flat roof areas to create drainage falls over the single height offices
  

Images © Mario Minchella Architects