Napper Architects developed proposals for a new community service depot for Darlington Borough Council to replace the existing facility which was inefficient and no longer fit for purpose.
The proposed depot operations include an office facility for up to 200 staff, a garage workshop, covered garage area, joinery workshop, hard standing parking, car parking, waste management, and a salt storage area. The workshop space is to be used for the purpose of repair and servicing of the council vehicle fleet. An area of hard standing accommodated a significant number of the council’s vehicle fleet.
The proposals are formed by three distinct components. Firstly the ‘front of house’ activities include the office facilities and associated parking, secondly the ‘back of house’ covered activities including workshops, stores, and garaging facilities, and finally the external activities including the waste management area, service vehicle hard standing, salt storage, vehicle fuel and wash facilities.
The proposals include solar panels and a biomass boiler; the building is designed to be an exemplar for its type and to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.
