While climbing up the U.K. national rankings over the last 20 years, the University of Hertfordshire has also been busy developing an ambitious plan to completely reimagine its two campuses. After years of planning and months of construction, the first major part of this redevelopment was completed in March: a brand-new science center, by architecture firm Sheppard Robson, to house growing departments and replace an outdated car park. The science center is only the beginning, but to complete this first phase of a new look for the campus, architects and designers turned to international coating master Adapta Color to find hues as innovative and forward thinking as the university itself.
Launched at the beginning of the decade with major financial contributions from Bouygues U.K., Hertfordshire’s 2020 Estates Vision Plan set forth a list of renovations and new buildings to modernize and create a new image for the school, located 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of London. For the original College Lane Campus, the science center would not only bring needed updates to growing departments, but also usher in a fresher and more pedestrian-friendly approach to the campus’s north end. (Soon surrounding sidewalks will be completely overhauled to emphasize landscaping and better-connect the rest of the campus with the center and upcoming housing for both faculty and students.)
Architects and engineers for the project, Sheppard Robson London faced numerous challenges in starting this major transformation with the science building. Program-wise, they needed to accommodate state-of-the-art technologies and 3,000 square meters (37,700 square feet) of laboratory space along with offices and research areas in order to bring all the university sciences under one roof. Aesthetically, they needed a structure that would symbolize the University’s push toward the future and break away from the previous English country style while feeling organic and integrated into the planned natural landscaping.
Inside, advanced ventilation and hot water systems were designed to meet current BREEAM standards and work with the campus’s district heating network, but these solutions were also built with the proper specifications to connect to a planned Biomass Heat Network. On the outside, designers kept the future in mind with landscaping and restricted service access routes to accommodate the more pedestrian-focused developments in years to come. Designers also gave the building a distinct cutaway entrance, which is mirrored two floors up by an elevated space that will eventually house a symbolic tree, tying the more modern design to tradition and the natural surroundings.
Building on this theme, Adapta Color stepped in to provide the science center’s most striking visuals with a specialized coating from their new Patina collection. A technical team of coating experts worked with designers developing the building’s exterior to create something special — a “skin” of unique colors, textures and effects to catch the eyes of students and visitors passing by. To realize the design, Sheppard Robson had rectangular metal panels drilled in vertically and arranged as a layer of louver-style sunshades over the parallelepiped glass facade. The panels were also differentiated to create the illusion of a wave passing over three sides of the building.
Adapta Color then aided the project team with selection of the Turquoise Copper shade of Patina, a striking hue that would set the building apart on its own but made even more interesting by patina effects. The unique powder coating mimics the appearance of naturally oxidized copper, creating a bicolor effect that varies depending on the viewer’s perspective and the amount of light present. Perfectly tailored to the project, the shifting and shimmering color reinforces the building’s wave illusion and offers that unique combination of organic inspiration and technological possibility.
Founded in Spain, Adapta Color manufactures and sells unique coatings all over the world. Turquoise Copper is just one of the 48 possible effects and colors in the Patina line, along with many other product offerings. Patina provides a solution for architects striving to create the exotic look and feel of weathered steel or copper while greatly reducing cost and environmental concerns because the powder coating recreates natural effects, even down to texture, without leaving stains or residues — all factors that made Patina the perfect complement to Hertfordshire’s desire for engaging aesthetics and practical solutions for the future.
