As far as architectural challenges go they can’t come much tougher than the new North Liverpool Academy. But one Barnsley company proved it could rise to the challenge and provided the framework to literally get the plans off the ground.
After winning the contract to supply the steelwork, Billington Structures spent the next six months modeling the structure for the innovative building.
It took almost 1000 tonnes of structural steelwork manufactured at the plant in Wombwell to create the structure for the Academy, which took its unusual design inspiration from a Jaguar car door handle.
Paul Hayes, Project Manager at Billington Structures, explained: “It was a challenging project and took more than six months to detail.
“The building has two teaching blocks separated by a 140 metre long by 15 metre wide steel structure in the centre, which has extreme loading pressures. The forces passing through this structure are hugely complex and required a very demanding design.”
Billington Structures Ltd, with plants in Barnsley and Bristol, has been designing, supplying and building structural steelwork for the construction industry for more than 60 years.
The Liverpool Academy overlooks the heart of the city has now opened its doors to the first influx of students and specialises in business, enterprise, computing and maths.