West Lothian Civic Centre
Thought to be one of the most ambitious public sector partnerships of its kind in the UK, the West Lothian Civic Centre will successfully change the way that the public sector is delivered in Scotland. Situated on the banks of the River Almond in the centre of Livingston, the £53 million building is due to be fully operational by the late autumn.
The Civic Centre provides 200,000 square feet of space for around 1000 staff and is home to 7 Government Offices including the Divisional Police Headquarters and the Scottish Court Service. It has been estimated that by bringing all these services together, an £8 million saving to the public can be delivered by partnering resources to create new efficiencies.
Externally the building itself gives insight to the large range of functions inside including the circular council chamber, the courts, civic space and linear office 'bars' as distinct architectural forms. Internal civic space has been created at the main entrance to provide access to all of the centres major areas. Rooftop lanterns provide natural stack ventilation and lighting of the linear atrium, externally the lanterns help to identify the presence of the centre amidst the tree lined banks of the River Almond.
Alite was specified throughout the Civic Centre; the 97422 return to door lever handle with quadaxial fixing roses, and 400mm pull handles to suit were used with beautiful results. Both architect and client were reassured by the robust nature of the quadaxial lever furniture which was supplied with dedicated fixing kits. The Allgood Solenoid Redlock was supplied in conjunction with the lever furniture in order to satisfy the Scottish Building Regulations call for 'mechanical egress' on the sole exit route from an access controlled area.
