We began work with the University of Gloucestershire in 1998 with a commission to produce a masterplan for a new campus on a 15 acre brownfield site on the edge of the city centre. Its educational hub comprises a Learning Centre, a Sports Science Faculty and housing for 175 students, provided by a series of four storey linked villas. The Learning Centre provides space for 300 computer workstations, a series of flexible teaching spaces and a lecture theatre for 200 people. The Sports Science Building contains laboratories, teaching spaces and a large sports hall for teaching, training and competitive events. Issues of sustainability were prioritised in the design of the new buildings. The ‘waveform’ roof of the Sports Science Building admits north light to reduce artificial lighting loads and its south-facing roof slopes are clad with photovoltaic cells.
The energy-efficient systems were part-funded by the EUBART programme and the DTI’s research-focussed ETSU programme. The scheme also utilises a ground source heat pump, termodeck ventilation and high levels of daylighting, unusual in most sports facilities.
The next phase in 2001 was the student accommodation, in 2005 we designed a new teaching space and an extension of the Sports Science Building, to provide a dedicated space suitable for national level badminton, along with a fitness suite arranged over two linked storeys. A ground source heat pump provides heating within this part of the campus.