Beaufort House
A 1950’s office building has been transformed into a luxury apartment complex
Case Study4 min read
Opened in September 2017, the National College for High Speed Rail contains a variety of practical and classroom-based learning spaces inside a visually striking yet simple building shell formed from two intersecting blocks.
The solid bronze cladding, redolent of the site’s industrial past, has been perforated in places with binary code patterns. This is effectively juxtaposed with the transparency of large areas of glazed curtain walling which allow onlookers a glimpse of the activities within.
LOCATIONBirmingham, UK
ArchitectBond Bryan
The main entrance is defined by a simple yet striking cantilevered upper floor. To insulate this, Kooltherm K110 was fixed directly to the concrete soffits using thermally broken fasteners, making installation quick and simple.
The commitment to creating a truly contemporary facility also included ensuring the building was as energy efficient as possible and, in line with funding guidance from BIS and the Skills Funding Agency, a BREEAM rating of Excellent was targeted for the new development.
Kooltherm K110 is a premium performance insulation board comprising an advanced fibre-free rigid thermoset phenolic insulation core with a thermal conductivity of 0.019 W/mK across all board thicknesses.
"It was vital that we created a contemporary facility that reflects the philosophy and working practices of HS2. This required a simple bold approach that could create the flexible spaces required whilst making a clear design statement that reflects the national status of the new facility". - John Rigby - Bond Bryan Architects
Page updated 07/01/2026
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