One of the University of Warwick’s key buildings has received a dramatic facelift providing a new, modern working environment for both students and staff.
Completed by national fit out and refurbishment firm Overbury, University House now boasts an executive suite, private office spaces, meeting areas and a new breakout area for staff.
It also houses the Learning Grid – an impressive workspace available to all, as well as a flexible environment for students to learn with the use of plasma screens, PCs, film and audio editing software and more than 10,000 text books.
David Johnson, account manager for Overbury’s Birmingham-based Central team, said: “As the curriculum evolves, so do the needs of both students and staff.
“It’s important that higher education institutions, such as the University of Warwick, continue to invest in their facilities to ensure they are providing the best service.
“It was a pleasure to undertake this project, and work with the university’s in-house design team to develop and define the fit out.”
University House is located between central campus and Westwood, and is the main hub for the centre’s administration. Its departments include human resources, finance and global engagement.
Robert Gamble, senior project manager at Warwick University, said: “Overbury successfully completed this challenging phased internal refurbishment of University House, which involved engaging with multiple stakeholders and adopting a flexible approach to work in an occupied building.
“Its professional approach to all aspects of the project ensured that the works were completed to time, to the desired quality and to the complete satisfaction of the client.”
The refurbishment was required to keep up with the evolving methods of both working and learning at the university and was inspired by biophilia – a key design trend that reflects the natural environment. The theme of nature was incorporated by using as many natural materials as possible including the wall art, organic carpets and natural timber finishes.
Overbury, which has worked with the University of Warwick on six other projects, also undertook the extensive adaptation of the existing lighting, audio and visual installations.