Pictured above: Richard Bell (Winvic Project Manager) and
David Walker (Chairman of iCon)
The award winning iCon in Daventry has officially 'topped out'
with all three of its eco-friendly roofs now completed.
The £8.5 million building will be a national centre of
excellence for the sustainable construction and green technologies
industries. The state-of-the-art scheme will provide accommodation,
support and advice for up to 60 new and inventive businesses in the
sector.
The iCon will be a beacon of energy efficiency in its own right,
using renewable energy and incorporating innovative design features
that reduce the need for heating and air conditioning. It will
feature 60 small offices, a conference hall for up to 300 people,
an exhibition space, a public piazza, and a café/restaurant.
It will also be home to the East Midlands' Sustainable Construction
Innovation Network (iNet), which has been established to support
construction businesses in the region. Northampton based
contractors Winvic Build are constructing the iCon. They started
work started in Summer 2009 and are due to complete the project in
Spring 2011.
A different style of roof covers the incubation units, central
atrium, and conference centre, all of which contribute to the
building's green credentials. The central atrium will have its own
'micro climate', acting as a heat store in winter and providing
ventilation in summer. Its roof is made of an inflatable plastic
'ETFE' membrane, a high performance material which has been used on
acclaimed developments including the Eden project and Beijing
watercube. The conference centre has a green roof, while the
roof above the incubation units features a series of chimneys that
support the building's natural ventilation system.
David Walker, Chairman of iCon East Midlands said: "We
anticipate that the businesses occupying the building will come
from the widest possible definition of 'sustainable construction',
and that they will be part of a lively and beneficial knowledge hub
for many different challenges facing the future of the built
environment ."
Mike Carr, Executive Director of Business Services at East
Midlands Development Agency (emda), said: "iCon will be a
tremendous asset to the construction industry in the East Midlands
and the wider country as a whole. emda has set up the Sustainable
Construction iNet and is funding iCon in recognition of the
importance of the construction industry to the region and to
encourage our businesses to develop and exploit innovative ideas
that will allow them to grow more quickly in the future."
The iCon has already been the recipient of two design awards,
collecting a Green Apple Award for Architecture and the Built
Environment in June 2010, as well as a Milton Keynes South Midlands
Excellence Award in December 2010.
Funding for the project has been obtained from the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the East Midlands Development
Agency (emda) and the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation
(WNDC). Daventry District Council and Northamptonshire County
Council have donated the land for the project. An organisation
known as iCon East Midlands has been set up to manage the day to
day running of iCon once it is operational. The organisation
includes representatives of the key funders as well as The
University of Northampton.