OE Electrics

The head office facility enhances the business park’s appeal, through a simple monolithic form and demonstrates a commitment to sustainable, energy-efficient design and inclusive working environments.

Occupying a 1.62-hectare plot within Calder Park, previously vacant land with outline planning consent for employment use. The site is strategically located, fronted by Peel Avenue to the north and Thomas Maddison Lane to the east, with excellent accessibility and transport links. It is bordered to the north and south by swales and a central balancing pond, forming part of the park’s sustainable drainage and flood mitigation strategy. A public footpath runs along the southern boundary, enhancing pedestrian movement through the area. To the west of the facility is the recently developed MTW Architectural Ltd site, setting a high-quality commercial context which the OE Electrics facility complements through its contemporary, energy-efficient design and landscape integration. 

OE Electrics required a head office facility to accommodate offices, research and development and the advanced manufacturing of their global range. A design befitting the aspiration of the client in respect of quality and corporate image was required while access required careful consideration within the site constraints.  

The building façades have been carefully designed using a simple palette of materials and colours, subtly highlighted by glimpses of OE Electrics’ corporate branding. The main manufacturing building presents as a single, monolithic mass clad in dark vertical profiled panels. This is accented by fine parapet and drip flashings that create crisp, geometric lines. 

In contrast, the eastern entrance and northern office areas are stepped down in height and wrap around the manufacturing block, which visually recedes when viewed from Peel Avenue and Thomas Maddison Lane. This lower section is clad in horizontally oriented silver profiled panels, also detailed with fine parapet and drip flashings to maintain sharp geometry. The silver-clad volume appears to float above the floor-to-ceiling glazing that extends along the northern ground-floor offices, anchored visually by dark masonry plinths at each corner, providing a solid base and subtle contrast. 

Sustainability and inclusive design have been embedded throughout the development of OE Electrics’ new Advanced Manufacturing Facility at Calder Park. The design adopts a fabric-first approach, maximising energy efficiency through high-performing, low-impact materials and airtight construction. The use of sustainable methods of construction, including a lightweight steel frame, insulated ecosafe wall panels, and responsibly sourced timber, reduces environmental impact while supporting circular economy principles. The development promotes active travel through integrated facilities for cyclists and enhances the biodiversity and landscape setting with carefully considered green buffers. The project also supports local supply chains and employment during construction, contributing positively to the social and economic sustainability of the region.