ISG has been appointed to deliver the University of Wolverhampton’s new £26 million School of Architecture and Built Environment, at its dedicated 12-acre Springfield Campus site – set to become Europe’s largest built environment education campus.
Visualisation of the new School of Architecture and Built Environment in Wolverhampton
Procured via the influential Pagabo Framework, through which ISG was also recently awarded a £34 million project at Richmond upon Thames College, this project forms part of a wider masterplan to transform a former Grade II listed brewery into the Springfield Campus. The project represents the final and largest element of the first phase of works at this key regeneration site, and is also one of the highest value capital works schemes the University has ever undertaken.
The new School of Architecture and Built Environment, designed by Associated Architects, will be constructed around the former Springfield Brewery’s clock tower, which will be sensitively restored as part of the project. A new build three-storey steel frame structure will wrap around the existing tower, and ISG will retain the outer brick façade of the former brewery building. Designed to reflect the historical context of the site, a key element of the new building is the striking saw-tooth profile of the roof – echoing the industrial buildings that once stood on the site.
Distinctive saw-tooth roof profile reflects the rich industrial context of the former brewery site
Featuring a full-height atrium, the 85,000 sq ft building will provide purpose-built space for around 1,200 students and 65 staff, with specialist laboratories, multi-disciplinary workshops, ICT suites, a lecture theatre and an upper level ‘super’ studio with double-height ceilings. The scheme will also provide social learning and work spaces, a café, offices and meeting rooms. Externally, ISG will create a landscaped piazza and courtyard area linking the new school together with the rest of the facilities on site.
Wayne Flannery, ISG’s regional director, commented: “Helping to deliver on the University of Wolverhampton’s vision for a dedicated centre of excellence for built environment learning is highly motivating for our team. It’s inspiring to work collaboratively with a customer so focused on creating the very best facilities for students to excel in their studies, and the attention to detail and design ethos of this new building is an excellent case study for generations of students to come.
“Procurement through the Pagabo Framework has enabled early contractor engagement and fostered a superb team spirit and approach from all project stakeholders, who have all bought into the University’s visionary approach to teaching contemporary built environment disciplines. This project and the wider development will undoubtedly act as the catalyst for the wider redevelopment of Wolverhampton’s Canal Side Quarter.”
For further information about ISG please visit their website www.isgplc.com