Gilbert-Ash Constructs Mayhew Theatre at the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Author: Christopher Dollard

Gilbert-Ash是一家屡获殊荣的英国建筑公司，已完成高调和享有声望的建筑项目，从酒店和办公室到外国大使馆和领事馆，在30年中，在40个国家 /地区。在伦敦和贝尔法斯特的办事处，由于其专业知识和高质量的建设，他们经常被英国外国和英联邦办公室签约。他们最近构建了Diplomatic Teaching Academy在伦敦的外国和联邦办公室officially opened by Prince William.

外交教学学院，正式被称为Mayhew Theatre之后，英国的第一位女性外交官Cecily Mayhew是抛物线玻璃，钢和木结构，必须在伦敦英国外国和英联邦办公室的庭院中建造。这意味着，钢制上层建筑需要由起重机将其提升到距离道路通道90米的庭院，任何一侧只有5米的间隙，这是一个非常微妙的操作。

For this project, Gilbert-Ash needed to operate within tight and sensitive spaces. They also had to complete an intricate and highly modern building with very strict geometrical design specifications. Fortunately, they invested in theLeica BLK360imaging laser scanner, a crucial piece of technology that helped them achieve success with the Mayhew Theatre, which won a2019 Construction Excellence Award.

Advanced Technology Required for Complex, High-Profile Construction

吉尔伯特·阿什（Gilbert-Ash）的成功记录表明，吉尔伯特·阿什（Gilbert-Ash）一直在应对备​​受瞩目的建筑工作的挑战。但是，由于上述复杂的挑战，Mayhew剧院的设计和施工过程需要先进的技术。

“The superstructure of the building was acantilevered hyperbolic paraboloid顶部环横梁带有锌屋顶 - 由于其形状而被称为pringle-在建筑物内，您有一个椭圆形的抛物面雪松板板天花板。对于非架构，高度几何语言表明这是一个复杂的结构。

是的，Pringles是双曲线抛物面形的薯片。为了了解“双曲线抛物面”的复杂性，《纽约时报》published an article关于超级计算机和提到的Pringles，特别是它们是如何设计的：“ Procter＆Gamble甚至使用超级计算机来确保pringles不破裂而进入罐头。”

显然,梅休剧院是一个复杂的结构that required impeccable precision at every stage of design and construction, and the hyperbolic paraboloid zinc roof, not unlike a Pringle fitting into a can, needed to fit into the courtyard without damage to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, a Grade 1 Listed Heritage building. If Pringles require supercomputers to fit into cans, then Gilbert-Ash certainly required a BLK360 to build the Mayhew Theatre successfully.

您甚至可以查看剧院如何在《建筑经理》杂志上建造的详细说明和图表here.

Gilbert-Ash Invests in Leica BLK360 to Create 3D Models

At the start of the project, McGeachy and Graeme Gourley, Senior Estimator, realized that they needed to have extremely precise measurements of their construction plans for the theatre. They had already had some experience with digital construction and reality capture tools, but McGeachy came across the BLK360 and thought it might be the right fit for their portfolio of technology.

“I was at a digital construction fair, checking out the different stalls, and I came across the Leica stand. A spokesman talked me through it and gave me a demonstration,” said McGeachy. “At that point, it was easy to identify that this would be a good addition to our digital construction tools.”

However, because of the space constraints of the job site, the complicated design, and work with subcontractors, it wasn’t possible to simply start work there and adapt the design as work progresses. Instead, Gilbert-Ash decided to start building the steel superstructure off-site in order to determine on-site dimensions.

“Everything had to be meticulously thought out off-site by using digital construction methods,”
古利说。“我们预先修饰剧院，以确定玻璃制造并发送到现场之前的玻璃大小。”

“For us to set-out dimensions on site, the only way we could see to do that was to capture it in 3D,” said McGeachy. They then used the BLK360 to scan the superstructure and determine precise dimensions, which they could then use to order other materials, like glass and wood components. The accurate point cloud data captured by the BLK360 enabled Gourley’s team to begin their entire design process with precision that helped ensure accuracy during every step of construction.

“We’re one of the first people in Northern Ireland to invest in the Leica BLK360. We use that to capture our 3D point cloud data,” said McGeachy. “With the 3D models we had developed, we could easily identify clashes between all three disciplines and hold workshops with sub-contractors to develop methods for changes to the design.”

Design and Construction Workflow for a Hyperbolic Paraboloid

捕获上层建筑后，McGeachy使用了几个工作流来处理数据并使用Autodesk Revit，Recap Pro＆Mobile以及NavisWorks创建3D模型。然后，他能够开发现有的Revit模型和尺寸的AutoCAD图纸，钢铁分包商能够使用Tekla结构软件成功设计钢结构，框架和连接。

“You’ve got these very complex geometric shapes, and it makes it even more complicated when they’re relying on and interacting with each other in this design,” said McGeachy. Because of the variety of materials and shapes in the theatre’s design, Gilbert-Ash relied on essential data from the BLK360 to inform all 3D modelling needed to ensure successful completion of the Mayhew Theatre.

“The Leica BLK360 has basically transformed the way we complete our projects, and it’s made a huge difference to us, especially with the coordination of subcontractors,” said Gourley. “Design clashes can be identified earlier, and the client can get a better sense of what they’re getting earlier on in the project."

With such a complicated structure being built for such a prominent location, purpose, and client, the BLK360 helped Gilbert-Ash to continue their successful relationship and award-winning work with the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office. We look forward to seeing how Gilbert-Ash incorporates 3D laser scanning into their future projects.