Architects of £45m University of Wolverhampton building shortlisted for award for project
Architects behind a £45 million university building in Wolverhampton have been shortlisted in the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awards for the project.
Associated Architects designed the award-winning University of Wolverhampton's School of Architecture and Build Environment building, which opened two years ago.
The new school has already clinched a series of awards including the New Build Award at the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) Awards last year.
And now the site, located on the Springfield Campus, could claim another accolade after the architecture firm was shortlisted for this year's RIBA West Midlands Awards.
Richard Perry, director at Associated Architects, said: "We are delighted to be shortlisted by the Royal Institute of British Architects in their annual awards and are very proud to be part of this brownfield regeneration project.
“The School of Architecture and the Built Environment is a pivotal project for the university, the city, and ourselves and is testament to the client’s vision for this once-derelict and seeming undevelopable site.
"Life has been brought back to Springfield with a considered composition of repurposed historic, listed structures and new development, that is not only enjoyed by its users but has also been recognised by industry peers."
The building was delivered by ISG and is the latest addition to the university's £120m investment in a new construction excellence campus at the former Springfield Brewery site in the city on brownfield land.
RIBA West Midlands jury chair Shauna Bradley said: “The incredible variety of shortlisted projects is a testament to the high standard of architecture the region has to offer. They demonstrate the vision and ability of the West Midlands to respond to today’s challenges, while respecting the ingenuity of the past.
"The seven shortlisted projects are the result of years of thoughtful design and collaborative working, with many environmentally-minded - prioritising re-use and adaptation, and all resulting in purposeful spaces which captivate, inspire and comfort their users.”
All shortlisted projects will be assessed by a regional jury in March with the winning projects announced later this spring.
The School of Architecture and Built Environment offers specialist teaching and social learning spaces, design studios, specialist labs, multi-disciplinary workshops, lecture theatre, cafe, offices, meeting rooms, ICT rooms and a top floor super studio with double height ceilings.
It provides space for nearly 1,100 existing students and 65 staff, with the number of students projected to grow over time to 1,600 – with the overall redevelopment project being managed by Rider Levett Bucknall and managed by the university's estates and facilities team.
The design team was made up of Associated Architects, who have designed the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills, the School of Architecture and Built Environment and the National Brownfield Institute (NBI), conservation advisors Rodney Melville & Partners, mechanical and engineering by Couch Perry Wilkes, quantity surveying by Faithful and Gould and structural and civils engineer Atkins, providing landscape architecture. Delta Planning have worked on the NBI planning application submission.
The Springfield project is funded by the Black Country LEP, the European Regional Development Fund, the Government’s Growth Deals and the former Higher Education Funding Council for England. It is also sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and Wedge Group Galvanizing – and has been backed by Wolverhampton Council.
