estates and IT services accommodation - derby university

Working with Paragon Interiors group, a:nw was successful in a limited competitive tender to facilitate the redevelopment of the old university sports hall accommodation into new office space.  

A new sports hall development had been finished down the hill on the campus, and the old sports hall that was at the end of the main campus building group on the top of the hill had been left without need.

The basic proposal was to introduce a new structural self supporting mezzanine floor into the hall and develop two floors of accommodation.  Due to the lie of the land the entrance would be at the upper level and this would require a bridge to form level access and create an entrance approach.

The structure for the hall was masonry diaphragm walls, and the proposal for finishing them was a rendered external wall insulation, to blend with much of the campus.  The diaphragm walls meant that fenestration apertures were restricted to the bays between the diaphragm masonry.  The initial proposal was for full height slot windows with recessed insulation between windows giving a repetitive columnar aesthetic to the redeveloped facades.  The internal furniture arrangement meant that full height windows would not be as successful as hoped and so window sills were raised to desk height.  However the new internal plan developed along with Paragon Interiors team allowed a new atrium and light-well to bring more light in through new roof lights and offset the reduction in the windows.

The entrance bridge and the re-cladding of the changing room area was completed in western red cedar as a transitional material between the white render and the surrounding buildings, and by reflecting its use elsewhere open the campus harmonise the redevelopment with other newer elements of the campus accommodation.

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All photographs taken by Nick. CGI images coutesy of Paragon Interiors.