Bridgwater project pushes design envelope for BBS Facades
Northgate Yard development displays the creative possibilities of innovative facades.
BBS Facades has been instrumental in the completion of Northgate Yard, the £16m Bridgewater leisure regeneration project. Opened in late 2022, the development is the culmination of years of planning and consultation by Sedgemoor District Council, which has created a unique entertainment hub at the heart of the Somerset community.
Central to the project is the eye-catching façade design, which combines natural hues from Equitone’s Pebble TE20 range with Rockpanel’s Metallic and Chameleon boards to create inspiring bursts of colour. Installed by Exeter based Progressive Systems, the 966m2 of cladding (534m2 Rockpanel and 432m2 of Equitone) was supplied by BBS Facades’ Cheltenham branch. The main contractor for this development was Wilmott Dixon.
The project presented a complex challenge for the team at BBS Facades, comprising more than 1,600 computer-controlled cuts to create the distinctive triangles seen throughout the development’s facades. All cladding panels were rivet fixed.
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- Northgate Yard Entertainment Complex
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- Northgate Yard Bridgwater
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- Rockpanel Chameleon
Commenting on the project, BBS Facades’ branch manager James Heslop, said: “Being a South West based business ourselves, we were delighted to play a role in the Northgate Yard project, which is such an important economic driver for the region.
“As a mixed-use development, Northgate Yard is now a hub for people to meet, shop, learn and enjoy the cinema, all within a safe and stylish environment. We’re very proud to have provided the unique façade systems to this special development which means so much to the local community in Somerset.”
Northgate Yard is a 40,000ft2 scheme centred around a seven-screen cinema, eight-lane bowling alley and sports bar. The development also features 12,000ft2 of flexible restaurant space in four units with outdoor dining areas. It is part of a larger scheme which includes Brewery Field, a rejuvenated town-centre green space including parkland, an urban wetland, car parking and electric vehicle charging points.
The external cladding takes the form of horizontal triangles and diamond shapes arranged in a mix of designs. This presented a technical challenge for the façade distributor BBS Facades, which demonstrates what can be achieved using off-site fabrication techniques.
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