The accommodation comprises of lecture theatres for general undergraduate use at lower ground level; suites of lecture rooms, seminar and tutorial spaces arranged for flexible use by external short course training at upper ground level, together with dining facilities and finishing kitchen. The accommodation on upper floors consists of offices, tutorial and administrative functions, common rooms, resource space and post-graduate rooms for the Faculty of Social Work.
The materials, form and expression continue themes of our adjacent project, being constructed of a stonefaced blockwork base, with render and engineering brick bands above. Windows are high performance metal clad timber and triple glazed.
The building also fulfils the University's brief for a very low energy project.
To achieve low energy comfort within the building, ambient conditions are maximised, by using the building structure as an energy store, combined with low pressure mechanical ventilation, heat recovery and opening windows. To assist low energy consumption, the building envelope is super insulated and is of airtight construction, with no thermal bridging of the fabric, while minimising solar gains externally.
The result is a building with a total heat demand from boilers of 24Kw (two domestic wall mounted boilers) and no mechanical cooling, serving a building of 3000m2 with a potential occupancy of 850 people.
Awards
- RIBA Architecture Awards 1995: Regional Award
- Civic Trust Commendation 1997
- The Building Services Energy Efficiency Award 1999
