Nautical inspiration adds to Lady Bee’s eye-catching design

The Lady Bee Enterprise Centre is a redevelopment project situated at the entrance to Shoreham Port, one of the largest cargo handling Trust ports on the south coast.

Even though it is a Design and Build project, it doesn’t look like the traditional set of light industrial units. The development comprises three two-storey buildings, with a total of 14 individual business and start-up units of various sizes.

Inspiration for the form came from the necessity to create high sustainability standards and from the nautical and fishing heritage of the site.

For example, the saw-tooth roof profile evokes a waveform, the engineering brick façade evokes the hull of a ship, and the shingle cladding and ‘fisheye’ windows are inspired by local fishing industry.

Zinc was specified because of the availability of colours and shingles and the coastal location of the centre. The elZinc Advance range is suitable for areas of pollution or coastal sites where the protective coating allows the salt to be washed off so it cannot eat into the metal.

An added bonus is that the shingles change colour over the duration of the day and reflect the water that surrounds the site.

Supplier: SIG Design & Technology