The new £30 million development, designed by AHR and delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction, will house the School of Art, Design and Architecture, enabling these disciplines to be united under one roof for the first time in a hub of creative studios and technology facilities.
Anthony Langan, Director and Education Lead at AHR, said: "The School's aspiration and our shared vision with the University was to bring together students and staff across different creative courses and generations. We achieved this by approaching the design of the building as one open and flexible learning hub that will catalyse creativity through interconnected working and learning spaces. This also includes more relaxed areas, such as the café and outdoor terraces, which allow important chance encounters and casual discussions to take place.
"As architects, it is a great honour to design an exemplary and inspirational building in which the architects, designers and creatives of the future will develop their craft. We are very proud of what we have created and look forward to the possibilities that will be realised through its use."
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The façade boasts a unique laser-cut veil, each panel individually designed by AHR, inspired by textiles and the history of the neighbouring mills, but with a contemporary and abstract twist. The panels minimise glare and overheating, while the building's transparency gives passers-by an intriguing glimpse inside.
The Phidias Lab allows students from across the School to enjoy and showcase work in virtual design disciplines, with high performance visualisation and motion capture resources. Other bespoke facilities include the Materials Library, textile design studios, print and dye areas, workshop areas, postgraduate research space, lecture space, and studios for photography, graphic design, product design and fashion, with CAD computer laboratories.
The building was designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent with an EPC rating of A.
Paul Limb, Project Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, added: "This project has been incredibly rewarding for our team to work on. We've developed a strong relationship with the University over recent years, and it’s been a privilege to welcome students on to the site to learn more about the complex construction process involved in creating incredible buildings like this. Through the use of cutting-edge technology we've been able to deliver AHR's ambitious vision for the University and create a building befitting of Barbara Hepworth's legacy, and one that is the perfect environment for the School’s students to nurture their crafts."
The contractor deployed cutting-edge digital construction and mixed-reality technology to enable its team to better examine the project as it developed, with 3D laser scanning proving crucial during the construction of the building’s audacious cantilevered structure. The use of Microsoft Hololens also enabled the project team to inspect and complete walk-throughs within a projection of the building in order to undertake surveys and risk assessments of the project as it developed, which proved crucial to the safety and smooth running of the scheme.
