Bournemouth Library
One of the many criticisms levelled at PFI schemes is that they stifle creativity. This argument is based on the perception that the projects pivot around a lowest common denominator, which places too much emphasis on cost and not enough on innovation. However one project in particular that was completed in 2002, is able to disprove that theory. The innovative design and fully integrated facilities management systems at Bournemouth Library have helped the library to attract a new generation of readers as members and have earned the library an award from the Prime Minister’s office.
The Better Public Buildings Award, jointly sponsored by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), was awarded to the Library in a ceremony at the end of 2003. Presenting the award on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton said: ‘This library is a triumph of excellent design, enthusiasm and urban renewal. I believe the library will prove to be a beacon of design excellence. All those involved can take great pride in what they’ve achieved.’
The building has been designed to be visually striking, to embrace the latest thinking on energy efficiency and to provide a model of facilities management excellence in public buildings. The awards judges were particularly struck by the library’s ‘incredible’ value for money. The £10m project offers 8200 m² of library and retail space over four floors.The many contemporary features of the building include:
- An innovative design that reflects the way a library is used, which is derived from a building which is flooded with natural light and has a layout which offers many quiet spaces and nooks for solitude
- Exposed concrete slabs to absorb heat and reduce the need for cooling
- An internal environment ideally suited to the storage of books and archive storage
- A structure that acts as a heat sink
- Automatic daylight sensors to control lighting and save energy
Caxton FM is responsible for the facilities management of the building. Its thirty-year contract to provide a range of services to the library including building fabric maintenance, waste removal, energy provision and cleaning, is supported by a close partnership with Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) software provider, Service Works Global (SWG).
When it came to implementing a CAFM system, the FM team at Caxtons knew that they needed software that was as sophisticated and innovative as the building itself. With this in mind, they carefully assessed the market place and chose QFM from SWG because it provided a total solution for both the needs of the FM team and the necessary adaptability to the meet the unique needs of the library management team.
Brian Dowling who heads the facilities consortium believes that the library offers a number of challenges to its service providers. ‘When we put together the facilities management package for the building, we became acutely aware of two important demands," he explains."‘The first was that this was a very sophisticated, intelligent building, which meant that we had to develop an intimate understanding of how the design, structure and building management systems of the building worked, if we were to provide an exceptional service. Data capture and reporting was therefore of paramount importance."
"The second was our method of operation needed to reflect the importance of the building as a part of the local community. The growth in the numbers of visitors – there were some 3,500 visitors on the first Saturday of opening alone – means that the building must function at optimum performance levels at all times. This high footfall also means that we are constantly being presented with new challenges. On top of that, communication and planning are absolutely essential in a library because the FM team cannot be intrusive. In a retail environment, it’s a good thing that cleaners and maintenance staff are visible. That’s obviously far from the case in a library."
QFM has helped Caxton FM to respond to these demands. The sophisticated software can deal with the systems unique to the library building. QFM’s user-friendly interfaces mean that reported incidents can be logged and responded to by the FM team extremely quickly. Finally, its analytical tools also mean that common problems can be rapidly identified and most importantly, planned maintenance schedules can be carried out without disrupting the way people use the library.