A sustainable new 2,200sq m teaching space at the University of Winchester has been granted planning consent.
Enabling work has already commenced for a new Learning & Teaching Building at the King Alfred Campus, which was partially designed by engineering consultants Grontmij as part of an overall master plan for development at the University.
The highly collaborative scheme was led by Design Engine Architects supported by Grontmij and Heyne Tillett Steel, to create a sustainable and innovative building that embraces the high design quality seen throughout the University’s recent development.
Grontmij applied its knowledge from previous work on the naturally ventilated Performing Arts Building and similar successful projects at other university campuses to develop a design for optimised, comfortable and low energy teaching space.
Sustainable design
Thermal modelling has led to a solution incorporating optimised insulation and thermal mass, in slab temperature moderation, natural daylight with glare control and an automatically controlled ventilation system with thermal chimneys. The sustainable design combines to generate a building that will achieve a minimum of BREEAM Excellent.
The passive building design will be enhanced for times of extreme temperature or use by ventilation, cooling and heating system fed from a high efficiency air source pump that absorbs heat from outside and transfers it into the thermal systems throughout the eight studios in the
building.
Early involvement of contracting organisation Geoffrey Osborne Ltd has led to a coordinated solution at the planning stage that has buildability and value engineering built in and not bolted on.
Innovative approach
Richard Beer, Senior Design Engineer at Grontmij, said: “Grontmij’s thermal modelling and design for the university scheme showcases an innovative and collaborative approach to ventilation, cooling and heating systems that will result in the Learning & Teaching Building being both economically and environmentally sustainable.”
Richard Jobson, Director from Design Engine, said: “In these difficult economic times we are delighted to be working on our fourth major building with the University of Winchester which continues to see the long term benefits of embracing design quality in commissioning new buildings.”
Three buildings on the campus have already been developed as part of the University of Winchester’s overall master plan and work has commenced on the Learning & Teaching Building with a view for completion in time for the start of the 2012 academic year.