The Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design

Lincoln, United Kingdom

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The Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design

Lincoln, United Kingdom

Firm

Stem Architects Ltd.

Type

Educational › University

YEAR

2013

SIZE

25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

BUDGET

$10M - 50M

The Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design Building is the latest addition to the University of Lincoln’s Brayford campus. The university master-plan was established in 1996, and has steadily grown to become a dynamic and distinctive part of the city.

The School of Art and Design decided to consolidate all of its courses from various other buildings around the City Centre into a new facility on its primary campus to maximise the faculty’s learning and teaching opportunities.

This relocation plan involved the expansion of the existing Architecture Building by constructing a new build on Brownfield land to the East. The scheme provides a vibrant and highly suitable addition to the existing building that has carefully married materials to create a dynamic transition of two landmark buildings. This has been enhanced further by successfully balancing form and scale, and following existing building lines to provide cutting-edge architecture.

The building lines are further emphasised to the South by the deep overhang and roof terrace above, which flow on to form the cantilevered staircases. This layered overhanging theme then continues on to the East elevation to offer a sculptured form which again returns on to the North elevation. This creates a series of pod forms orientated to maximise views and respecting the vision corridor to the Cathedral. This aesthetic has parity with the newly punctuated cantilevered bays on the existing building.

The design concept for the interior of the building was to provide a neutral back drop in which the Arts students could create their own working environment, and allow their work to express itself rather than competing with the building. The exposed concrete floors and ceiling/soffit planks set the tone for a subtle and utilitarian internal aesthetic where a simple palette of materials provides a unified transition between spaces.