The Birmingham School of Architecture,

Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, University of Central England

Client: University of Central England
Contractor: Murray & Willis
Completion: September 2005

To design a new School of Architecture is a rare and fantastic opportunity.

Despite a very tight design period, and even tighter construction period, we were able to completely transform the whole floor of the Faculty of Art and Design from a run-down 1960s building to one fit for a design school in the 21st century.

...A 15 metre long bending, folding bench feature houses student lockers beneath a continuous oak worktop which encourages informal sitting, and a 'seminar bar' at the higher point....

The school had to include a whole range of spaces to house the undergraduate and postgraduate Architecture courses, undergraduate and postgraduate Landscape Architecture courses, the MA Urban Design course, as well as provide crit rooms, exhibition space, breakout space, seminar rooms, and staff and research offices.

The main feature of the design is a 'hub' area that acts as an informal breakout space for tutorials, seminars, and independent student working. A 15 metre long bending, folding bench feature houses student lockers beneath a continuous oak worktop which encourages informal sitting, and a 'seminar bar' at the higher point.

Set against this space, are a series of glass-fronted spaces that are visually connected via a specialist ceiling system with emphasised wide bands which reinforce the relationship between these formal spaces and the informal breakout spaces.

The hub space features a workbench along the perimeter which is articulated by a series of orange perspex fins which define computer workstations. This feature is repeated in each of the design studios, an innovation which brings computers into the studio to integrate the necessary technology with the traditional design studio.

The design is supported by a range of contemporary furniture which supplements the design, particularly by bringing an injection of colour with items such as high and low folded orange stools to mirror the geometry of the bench feature.

Rhowbothams Architecture Limited acted as Executive Architects on the project on behalf of the UCE Estates Department.

Photos by Paul Robinson