Description of the contract
Address
Brecon Beacons National Park Visitor Centre
Libanus
Brecon
Powys
LD3 8ER
Background and Aims:
The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority has been engaging on several projects to improve the visitor experience at its National Park Visitor Centre located 6 miles outside of Brecon. The Centre has seen refurbishments to its information centre, craft shop and café, along with the introduction of a new children’s play area. This winter will see improvements made to disabled access through delivery of improved pathways, new disabled parking facilities and the introduction of a fully compliant Changing Places facility. The Visitor Centre is also a hub for the Wales Way and has recently seen the introduction of a large interactive touch map of the Brecon Beacons.
The Centre has also benefitted from investment in green technology infrastructure, such as solar panels, battery storage, and a programme of insulation improvements.
The above improvements, have however, seen the loss of the small classroom space that was adjoining the information centre, as this space has been repurposed to make way for the above improvements as well as improve visitor space and flow. This space was used as a classroom, a meeting room for Authority business, as well as hired out to local businesses and organisations. When used as a classroom by the Authorities education team, it would welcome over 5000 children per year to enjoy a National Park experience.
The Visitor Centre is also a focal point for the National Parks Dark Skies designation, and the Centre runs numerous Dark Sky events during the year. This has recently been enhanced by the purchase of an inflatable planetarium, which allows visitors to learn more about our dark skies. Due to the space requirements of the planetarium, we currently do not have an indoor space within the Authority to use this equipment and must hire external facilities.
The aim of our next phase of improvements is to introduce a new stand-alone multi-purpose visitor engagement building that will allow us to not only be able to deliver the services lost due to the loss of the classroom, but to allow the Centre to explore further opportunities to engage with visitors to the National Park and to the Visitor Centre.
Budget:
To completion of RIBA Stage 4 £25,000
Design style:
The style and materials pallet should be appropriate to the natural landscape in which it will sit. It is intended that this facility will be an exemplar of best environmental practice and clean, simple design, sensitively locating the structure in its setting and running on sustainable low carbon lines. The site has access to water, electric and mains sewerage and has an LPG gas tank situated near to the main building.
We require high quality expert design and advice in delivering a multi-purpose visitor facility, providing low carbon/ green solutions to visitor infrastructure. The design should take into consideration all the elements laid out in the Key Requirements section.
Reasons for the project/ intended activities:
The National Park Visitor Centre attracts over 130,000 visitors per year, and as such makes it one of the most visited attractions within the Brecon Beacons National Park. Its iconic location, giving breath taking views of Pen y Fan and the wider Central Brecon Beacons is its key selling point. The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority’s 2nd Purpose is to promote the understanding and enjoyment of the National Park, and the development of this multi-purpose Visitor Engagement building is seen as a key delivery tool to meet this purpose.
The Authority continues to engage with young learners from all key stages, and as part of its commitment to Welsh Governments Future Generations Act and the new school curriculum, we are committed to engaging with as many young learners as possible, with an aim that all children will have a National Park experience during their school years. While the aim is to ensure that such visits are conducted in the outside natural environment, the ability to deliver classroom sessions, and be prepared for periods of poor weather, are seen as critical in the overall experience. This is something we cannot offer now at this location.
The National Park has seen an increase in visitor’s numbers since the pandemic, and many of which are coming to a National Park for the first time. This has resulted in need to educate and inform visitors on behaviours that can have a lasting impact on landscape. Many visitors also have a thirst for knowledge on how they can help protect and enhance the natural environment. The National Park Authority is ideally placed to deliver both behavioural messages and to promote the good work of its project officers. Having a public facing outlet for such messaging is key to engaging with as many visitors as possible, and the introduction of the Visitor Engagement building will allow us to deliver exhibitions, workshops, and other key messaging events at a busy visitor location.
The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is currently facing circumstances where it may need meeting and committee facilities, this facility will therefore need to be able to deliver these operational critical meetings and committees. This facility will be an asset for the future administrative delivery of the National Park Authority.
The National Park Visitor Centre is attempting to become financially sustainable operation, and the loss of the current classroom facility has meant the loss of a vital income stream, through the hire of this space. A new facility would allow the Centre to market itself as a professional and desirable location for meetings, away days and other commercial activities. This would support the Centres financial sustainability aims.
The Visitor Centre is a key location for the National Parks Dark Sky designation, and these facilities would allow both the National Park Authority and external organisations to make the most of this Dark Sky location. Its design will also allow for the use of a mobile planetarium recently purchased by the Authority.
Key Requirements
Taking into considerations the aims and objectives of the new facility, its design and delivery would need to meet the following key requirements
Accommodate the education of school groups of up to eighty young learners in one space in a theatre style layout.
Accommodate small exhibitions, workshops, or other publicly accessible events
Accommodate the use of the Dark Skies planetarium, which requires a 6m x 6m floor space, and a 4m high ceiling.
Accommodate Authority meetings including committee meetings of up to forty people.
Allow ability to view the night sky from within the building.
Should also include 2 unisex and one disabled toilet
Should include storage space for tables, chairs and educational equipment
Should include an administration office.
The design should also allow for the following
Utilise the iconic view of Pen y Fan and the wider Central Brecon Beacons offered by the site.
Allow observation of the Dark skies above the Centre
Include an external covered area to allow users to eat and meet outside in any weather
Should offer full disabled access.
Potential of dividing the large space into two small spaces for flexible use
Have access to all utilities needed to make it a comfortable environment all year round.
Should utilise green and renewable energy technology where possible and consider rainwater harvesting.
Should be constructed from materials that are sympathetic to its natural environment.
Award of Contract and key milestones.
The contract will be short listed within a week of the close of Sell2Wales submission date.
There will be an online Teams interview, prior to the award of the contract.
A site visit will be held after the award of the contract. This meeting will have representatives from the successful consultant, and Brecon Beacons National Park Authority (BBNPA) representatives.
At the point when the report is in draft the consultant will present to the project team and receive feedback, comments and discuss and if necessary, amend any design points.
Outputs
Although a list of key requirements has been included in this document, we would expect the successful tender to initiate a consultation exercise with key stakeholders within the National Park Authority, and relevant external stakeholders.
It is expected that the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority will need to seek funding for the construction and delivery of this project from both public and private sources. The Authority is therefore seeking to procure a concise, accurate document that is well researched with a bill of quantities and detailed design plans.
The detailed plans should be able to deliver an aspirational message to prospective funding partners, and would include detailed plans, along with eye catching artists impressions and a video presentation of the scheme. The document will be in a format that can be used to:
Successfully bid for further implementation phase project funding.
Form the basis of a planning application.
Meet Local authority Building Control conditions.
Be posted on Sell2Wales prior to construction work commencing.
Please detail your proposed timetable for the project and the period needed to complete this design project and submit the final report. Ideally this will be complete by the end of March 2023.
Applicants should give examples of similar projects that they have been involved in and state their role in those projects.
Authority & decision making:
The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority will be the lead organisation for this project and will provide a lead Officer as a point of contact. This will be supported by representation from an internal project team.
|