Stride Treglown was appointed by the Council in 2011 through OJEU to develop proposals for the refurbishment of a newly acquired office building. The Council was looking for an innovative, creative and sustainable design. Only the concrete structure could be retained with the existing floor to ceiling heights and structural elements providing challenges to the whole design team which could be overcome by clever design solutions.
The refurbished building now provides modern office accommodation for 350 employees with a new ‘glass box’ at the corner of Romsey Road and Upper Market Street, creating a new landmark in the street scene of Eastleigh, and conveying a modern image of the Council. The break-out and meeting rooms in the glass box offer great views across the adjacent park and towards the city centre.
The existing undercroft within the footprint of the building has been filled in in order to create much needed additional floor space for a new public Customer Service Centre and a café enabling informal meetings between Council staff and the public. The public space around Eastleigh House will also be improved and enhance the overall appearance of this key city centre location. The proposed landscape seeks to give Eastleigh House a legible setting, with a new entrance area, staff rest space, reconfigured car park and cohesive boundary treatments. New planting is of a limited and robust palette, chosen to tie the site together, and will give year round colour and interest.