Starbucks, Tyne & Wear 

This project relates to the development of two new commercial units which were to be formed by modifying a disused commercial unit in Sunderland. The building is an existing steel portal frame where the proposal was to remove the end 2 portal frames to the south west facing elevation to allow a drive-thru function to be formed.

The steelwork that was removed was reused for bracing and for the gable posts. By reusing the existing steel portal frame structure, the embodied carbon footprint for the development was much lower in comparison to if the structure was built as new.

The re-use of the existing building and existing steelwork prevented the structure from deteriorating into disrepair which could have had a negative impact on the surrounding area.

The main structural design considerations were to ensure stability during the removal of the end portal frames whilst also developing a design that would be suitable for the permanent case.