Priory Park

Dudley, West Midlands

Project summary

OES Consulting was engaged to design two extensions for the existing masonry pavilion at Priory Park, a beloved historical site in Dudley. This £500,000 community development project aimed to enhance visitor experience and preserve the park’s heritage, creating additional space for showcasing local history, meeting facilities, and public WC amenities. The extensions now serve as a community centre, seamlessly integrated into the park’s natural and historical landscape, embodying OES’s commitment to environmentally and culturally sensitive design.

Services provided

OES Consulting’s contributions encompassed structural and civil engineering along with BIM modelling.

Structural Design Customised the structural engineering design to fit the pavilion's needs, using cost-effective, appropriate materials for sustainability and durability.
Foundation Engineering Conducted thorough soil investigations and selected mass concrete strip and pad foundations to ensure stability and longevity within the park’s green and historic setting.

Challenges and solutions

One of the primary challenges was linking the new extensions to the existing pavilion structure while maintaining visual consistency and structural integrity. To meet this challenge, we designed a single-storey frame building with a combination of rigid frames and cross-bracing for lateral stability, critical for the pavilion’s unique geometry and glazed elevations. This approach allowed us to seamlessly integrate the new and existing structures, preserving the aesthetic and historical value of Priory Park.

The expertise of OES’s team ensured a smooth process, delivering a finished project that fulfilled both client expectations and the community’s needs.