A dynamic and powerful statement
Bond Bryan Architects for University of Nottingham
Contract value: £17m
GIA: 9,000 m²
Cost per m²: £1,889
This building is immediately recognisable as a dynamic and powerful statement at the gateway to the university’s Jubilee Campus. However, its assured simplicity belies a complex brief and a series of well-resolved and interesting interior spaces. A large simple volume containing functional workshops contrasts with a more fluid accommodation block containing office, research and meeting spaces.
The resulting undulating form creates an embracing entranceway and a series of uniquely formed meeting areas at the changes in geometry. Users return again and again to the calm yet geometrically interesting atrium as they circulate around the building, a feature that encourages collaboration and shared working. The spatial layout is expressed clearly in the building’s external appearance, with the two primary forms clad in contrasting materials and colours. The project team deserves great credit for its careful handling of context, the resolution of complex spatial demands and the creation of an innovative working environment.
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