Building the EPIC Centre

The rapidly emerging challenge of climate change should also be set within the context of a prolonged period of challenges facing agriculture over the past decade. This is a situation that has increasingly preoccupied the minds of all those involved with the charitable activities of the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society. The LAS therefore developed a vision for an environmentally friendly, low carbon centre on the Showground that rapidly evolved into the project to construct the EPIC Centre.

The LAS, who are a registered charity and the owners of the Lincolnshire Showground, have led the fundraising and have underwritten the viability of the project. This low carbon project has been supported throughout by a broad spectrum of partners with capital funding coming from Lincolnshire County Council, West Lindsey District Council and the European Union Regional Structural Funds (ERDP Objective 2). Further generous private gifts and donations led to the Trustees of the Agricultural Society agreeing that an approach could be made for a mortgage to complete the balance of the budget required for the construction.
 

The construction of the low carbon EPIC building began soon after the 2007 Lincolnshire Show in a deluge of near biblical proportions. Happily the balance of the summer and the autumn that followed were dry and work was back on schedule by the end of November

The  backbone of the building, made from 85% recylced steel, could be clearly seen by the end of September.

Perhaps the most spectacular phase of the construction began with the arrival of the low carbon framing for the main exhibition halls in mid October. Each 22 metre beam weighs over 7.5 tonnes and required careful manoeuvring into their final positions.

The EPIC building has been designed  and constructed to maximise its low carbon impact. Renewable materials such as glulam timber and wood wool have been extensively used in its construction. Its design has minimised the use of concrete and steel 

A living sedum roof helps insulate the building, moderates its water runoff and assists in the collection of water by the rainwater harvesting system used to supply the toilets within the building. The incorporation of extensives eves on the south side, as shown in this picture, helps to shade the halls from the sun's heat in the summer but allows sunlight in during the winter.

Heat energy supplied from biomass with fossil fuel only used as a backuphelps to improve the low carbon effect. Microgeneration by two wind turbines is used to provide some of the base electrical requirements. EPIC has plans to evaluate the potential of photovoltaics and also combined heat and power to boost its renewable electrical supplies.

  • 3 interlinked exhibition halls – 1,570 m2
  • Suite of offices & meeting rooms – 485 m2
  • Kitchens, plant rooms toilets & circulation area – 1,243 m2
  • Construction ethos that focuses on low carbon, sustainable materials
  • Minimal use of concrete and structural recycled steel
  • Ground bearing raft foundations
  • Earth sheltered north aspect
  • Laminated timber frame
  • Living green sedum roof over the exhibition halls
  • Rainwater harvesting
  • Natural ventilation systems
  • Renewable energy features including:
  • Biomass boilers
  • Solar water heating
  • Opprtunity to demonstrate photovoltaic panels
  • Microgeneration from wind energy