Air Quality Monitoring Station
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The re-clad cabin
Toby Carr/SWA Download Original
Extension and reclad of existing air quality monitoring station on Marylebone Road
SWA were commissioned by King’s College London to design the extension and re-cladding of the AQMS. This facility has been a cornerstone of the UK understanding of air pollution concentrations close to roads, and the effect that these have on human health, for over 15 years.
The enlarged facility now provides room for an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer, which will analyse the chemical composition of individual particles, meteorological measurements, and laboratory space for pioneering field based toxicological analysis by the Environmental Research Group at Kings College.
The new building responds to a desire to raise the profile of the important work that is carried out on the site and to specific demands for air flow rates around the sensitive monitoring equipment located on the roof. The cladding subtly changes depth along the length of the cabin, which creates an interesting and dynamic façade as you move around the building.
It is constructed using FSC certified timber and was built over a period of two weeks.
Data
- Begun: Sep 2011
- Completed: Nov 2011
- Floor area: 25m2
- Sector: Public realm
- Total cost: £10,000
- Funding: NERC ClerafLo, NERC/MRC Traffic projects, Defra
- Tender date: Jan 2011
- Procurement: traditional (minor works)
- Address: Marylebone Road, London, W1U 5UW, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects
- Project architects: Toby Carr, Tom Ebdon
- Client: Kings College London
- Main contractor: Evoke Projects Ltd