The designers of the University of Wolverhampton’s new £45 million School of Architecture and Built Environment, Associated Architects, have built further on the building’s award success by making the coveted shortlist of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) West Midlands Awards 2022.
The new School, which opened in August 2020, has already clinched the Conservation and Regeneration Award at the Constructing Excellence Midlands Awards 2021, scooped the New Build Award at last year’s Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) Awards and was named by framework provider Pagabo as its ‘best project above £15m’.
The RIBA has been celebrating outstanding work for over 180 years. The awards and prizes are regarded internationally as a mark of excellence, recognising the best architecture, architects, research and students.
The new building, designed by Associated Architects and delivered by ISG, 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 – a brownfield regeneration project which has transformed the site.
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.”
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 new 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.
The school specialises in supporting skills in architecture, construction, civil engineering, building control, building services, facilities management, quantity surveying, planning, construction management, housing and commercial.
The Springfield redevelopment project is being project managed by Rider Levett Bucknall and is being 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.
The University’s partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council has also been crucial to the successful completion of the project.
Home to the Thomas Telford University Technical College (UTC), the University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment, and the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills, the regeneration of the former Springfield Brewery is central to the University’s vision of enhancing the student experience and supporting business growth. It is also home to the University’s new National Brownfield Research Institute for which the University secured £14.9 million funding from the BCLEP through the government’s Get Building Fund.