A guide to specifying system build car parks. Why design from scratch when you can buy off the shelf... (X495)

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Often car parks are required on high value sites close to a primary business activity such as a retail outlet, an air terminal, railway station or a commercial centre. In situations such as these car parking (quality, well designed, well lit and “safe”) can become a major source of revenue. The attributes of offsite manufacture and supply can become extremely attractive. These attributes include speed of construction on site with minimum disruption, predictable performance and cost, and the opportunity to design for reuse on other sites, which gives residual value to the structure and maintains flexibility for later site development - a highly sustainable approach.

So why is a specifiers’ guide required? Multi-storey car parks lend themselves to a standardised approach as the performance and spatial requirements are relatively straightforward and repetitive. Generally, this building type does not require an intensive redesign for every circumstance. This Buildoffsite produced guide sets out to help potential clients and their agents decide on appropriate levels of specification, product process and delivery to suit their requirements.

Standardisation should deliver considerable commercial benefits in addition to the generic process benefits of offsite construction. The end product can be functional in appearance or exceptional. Careful, skilful consideration of the building’s spatial and visual context will have a major impact on a successful outcome.

ISBN: 978-0-86017-921-4
Author: Buildoffsite
Number of pages: 28
Publisher: Buildoffsite
Date of Publication: October 2009