Location: Great Dunmow, Essex

Value: £5,600,000

Size: 27,000 sq./ft

Completion Date: May 2008

Client: Essex Police

Sector: Office

Project Team: David Liddell

Appointed lead consultants, Colman Architects completed the design and construction of the new police station in Great Dunmow, Essex after winning a European competition for the project.

The brief was to create a 27,000 sq./ft contemporary structure with a budget of £5-6m that encompasses the responsibilities of the police today – a structure that is as appropriate to law enforcement as it is to the welfare of the public they serve.

With this challenge, Colman Architects designed a contemporary structure that combines the use of zinc and cedar. This combination represents the intricate nature of modern police work. The structure is strong and bold. It is predominantly steel in order to provide a flexible workspace that can be easily adapted according to the changing demands of 21st century policing.