The brief

CDL Group required a sustainable, high-quality luxury finish – inside and out – on a state-of-the-art office and datacentre for its riverside campus in Stockport. Besides a high-quality terracotta rainscreen cladding for the exterior, the customer also commissioned a natural stone entrance hall floor and 12m high lift shaft.

What we did

CDL Group chairman Tom Hogg worked with the architects on a host of creative ideas for the materials on this beautiful building. Aliva took their vision and its expert design team translated it into a stand-out finish, incorporating high-quality natural materials to give a very modern, unusual feel. Outside, Aliva provided 500 sq.m of black Grescovering terracotta rainscreen cladding around an imposing three storey glass atrium. Inside, it supplied more than 200 sqm of grey Jura limestone for the floor and lift shaft.

What makes it special

CDL Group chairman Tom Hogg handed the architects a sustainability brief with specifications for the entire project that exceed those demanded by current building regulations. Aliva met his exacting brief with monochrome cladding that frames the atrium to create a striking main entrance to The Codeworks, as well as the black photovoltaic panels that screen the roof. Grescovering terracotta cladding gives a tough, traditional finish that has a lifespan of 50+ years. The highly-durable interior finish was executed with tight 5mm joints and monolithic corners to give a traditional stone-built look. The Jura limestone envelopes the feature lift shafts with vertical glazed slots.

What they say

The quality of the materials and technical work on the façade from Aliva UK were excellent, and the combination of stone and glass projects a modern and elegant feel. The new building looks stunning internally and externally, and its striking aesthetic contributes to the fabulous working environment we wanted The Codeworks to deliver. Tom Hogg, CDL chairman