Planning permission was granted last month for the extensive retrofit of 21 St. Albans Grove into an exemplary new junior school for Thomas’s Day Schools within the De Vere Conservation Area in Kensington, West London. The design, by award-winning architect, Ackroyd Lowrie introduces sensitive, modern interventions to tie together the
Leading Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson will spearhead the design and construction of the new £15.4m state-of-the-art Air and Space Institute (ASI) for Newark College, part of the Lincoln College Group, at the former cattle market site in Newark. The ASI provides a unique opportunity for school leavers aged 16-18
Balfour Beatty today announces that it has been awarded a c.£90 million contract by Fife College for the design and construction of a new learning campus in Dunfermline, Scotland. Balfour Beatty will be responsible for the delivery of three interlinking buildings spanning over 20,000m2, which will house state-of-the-art teaching facilities
Willmott Dixon has been appointed to work with the University of Exeter to complete detailed designs to build a new Multi-Faith Centre at Streatham Campus. Construction is due to start in summer this year. Exeter City Council recently approved plans to develop the Multi-Faith Centre, which will replace the existing
Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield, Staffordshire, celebrated the official opening of its £4.8m free school with the local community last week (Friday 13 January). The two-storey building, which was constructed by Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson and completed in summer 2022, opened to 210 primary and 26 nursery pupils in
Sir Robert McAlpine has today announced practical completion of Co-op Academy Belle Vue in East Manchester, with the school opening this week. Formerly a 12.6-acre brownfield site hosting a Showcase Cinema, the new co-educational school will be home to 1,200 pupils when full and consists of a main three-storey building
Plans to develop a new secondary school fin the Burgess Hill area have been approved. West Sussex County Council and co-applicant Homes England’s plans to create a zero-carbon school were approval by Mid Sussex District Council’s planning committee on 15 December 2022. Committee members praised the ‘excellent’ and ‘unique’ designs
Environmentally driven architectural practice, Lungfish Architects has successfully partnered with Morgan Sindall Construction to deliver more than £30m-worth of educational infrastructure in Derby, helping to generate 1,440 additional school places. Lungfish has designed and delivered some of Derby City Council and Derby County Council’s most recent transformative school projects including
Building and civil engineering firm McLaughlin & Harvey has been chosen as the preferred construction partner for City of Wolverhampton Council’s City Learning Quarter. The company will be developing the detailed designs while carry out some minor preparatory works ahead of construction starting in spring. Developed by the Council in
University of Cambridge’s ‘Homerton College Dining Hall’ designed by architects Feilden Fowles, is the UK’s best new timber building, having won the Gold Award at the 2022 Wood Awards. Elegant and impressive, the dining hall was praised by the judges for how it celebrates the integrity and inherent beauty of
Planning permission was granted last month for the extensive retrofit of 21 St. Albans Grove into an exemplary new junior school for Thomas’s Day Schools within the De Vere Conservation Area in Kensington, West London. The design, by award-winning architect, Ackroyd Lowrie introduces sensitive, modern interventions to tie together the two historic buildings, one of which is Victorian, the other mid 20th Century, and revitalise the character of St Albans Grove with improved landscaping and boundary treatments. Ackroyd Lowrie, highly commended in the 2021 AJ Retrofit Awards, previously achieved planning consent for the conversion of the Royal Academy of Dance in Battersea to form a Secondary School for Thomas’s Day Schools. The firm’s managing director, Jon Ackroyd comments: “This project has been another opportunity to weave Thomas’s Schools ambitious brief into the fabric of two wonderful historic buildings that sit within a rich urban fabric. The challenge was to provide a modern and safe learning environment, whilst respecting the existing character, and upgrading the fabric to achieve ambitious energy targets. “The main move was to remove an insensitive extension that links the two historic buildings and introduce a light-filled central atrium that will be the heart of the school, including a new stair and lift to completely change the way the buildings are navigated. This atrium will also provide a new main entrance, and act as a welcoming, public face to the school. “The boundaries are also upgraded with extensive landscaping, and imaginative play spaces provide a range of different play atmospheres. We are extremely pleased with the positive outcome of this application and that our vision for this landmark school in such a prestigious neighbourhood is shared by the local authority.” Ackroyd Lowrie’s approved design will provide an exceptional, five storey school comprising 23 teaching classrooms for pupils from reception to year 6, sound proofed music rooms, libraries, dining halls, assembly hall, reception, head’s office, meeting/administration rooms, flexible community spaces and a planted biodiversity roof garden. Extensive consideration was given to landscaping to fulfil three criteria: minimising acoustic impact; creating privacy and safety; and improving the visual quality of Atlantic House’s front façade. A woodland-style quiet learning garden has been positioned nearest the neighbouring residential properties, while acoustic walls have been specified to surround free play/sports areas. On the façade facing St Albans Grove, a low brick plinth wall with natural stone coping will be built to delineate the school boundary and create a sense of security. It will also feature decorative railing incorporating the Thomas’s Day School logo to remain sympathetic with neighbouring properties. Existing listed trees are retained alongside the new roof garden, resulting in a biodiversity net gain of 21.73% over the current habitat value. Jon concludes: “Our overall approach follows passive design principles and seeks to refurb the majority (93%) of Atlantic House’s existing area and retain its shell and part of the frame. This includes upgrading the thermal fabric to above Building Regulation standards, which will significantly reduce associated heat losses from an old building and provide internal temperature control. Renewable energy technology including photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps will ensure maximum energy efficiency, flow restrictors on taps and dual flush toilets will reduce water consumption, and rainwater collection butts are specified for landscape irrigation. Finally, materials have been specified for a long lifespan and future adaptability.” Ackroyd Lowrie has worked in partnership with property design and development firm, Finchatton; planning consultant, Savills and project managers, Silver to achieve planning consent. Andrew Dunn, co founder of Finchatton said: “We are so thrilled to be expanding into the educational sector with the Thomas’s project. The new building has been designed to create a best in class environment for learning today as well as to be sensitive to the local community and its neighbours.” Nick de Lotbiniere, head of London planning, Savills added: “Savills are delighted to have acted as agents for the planning application for the new Junior school on behalf of Thomas’s School. The permission will see the repurposing and reuse of Atlantic House which has been vacant for a long period. The consent will also ensure that the school will continue to serve the Borough’s residents and provide excellent education for pupils in a new and enhanced facility, through a well-designed scheme.” Ashley Coull, associate director for project management consultant, Silver spoke about the client and team ethos: “It has been a privilege to be one of the partners in this flagship project for Thomas’s, working in collaboration with Thomas’s and the professional team committed to creating an engaging and inspiring school environment. We are looking forward to restoring these beautiful heritage buildings for future generations to enjoy, learn and grow.” Work on Atlantic House is expected to begin later this year with the aim for staff and students to move in for the 2024/25 academic year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson will spearhead the design and construction of the new £15.4m state-of-the-art Air and Space Institute (ASI) for Newark College, part of the Lincoln College Group, at the former cattle market site in Newark. The ASI provides a unique opportunity for school leavers aged 16-18 to train for pilot, engineer and ground-crew roles in airlines, the military, airports and logistics companies across the UK and abroad. The new three-storey building, which is due to complete at the end of 2023, will be only the second of this type of college building to be built in the UK and will provide world class training for the air and space industry, accommodating a full-sized Airbus A318 for hands-on teaching experience, alongside a double height entrance hall, large open space hangar, flight simulator, teaching zones and lecture and seminar areas for students and staff. The scheme will be finished off with a combination of soft and hard landscaping works. From conception, G F Tomlinson used BIM technology software to digitally map the complex build which includes numerous articulated angles, using world coordinate systems for the design and construction of the build. This allowed the contractors and Lincoln College Group to work the design and use real time updates to navigate the build through all the fundamental stages through to completion. The project was procured through the Pagabo National Framework for Major Construction Works. Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson said: “We are delighted to be appointed as main contractor on the ASI which offers state-of-the-art training for students at a brand-new campus in the heart of Newark. “We are extremely pleased to have secured this project under the Pagabo National Framework for Major Construction Works. Through our early contractor involvement and close collaboration with the Client team, we look forward to turning Lincoln College Group’s vision into a reality by providing a world-class training facility for young people throughout the region.” Lincoln College Group Director of ASI and Strategic Growth, Tom Marsden said: Lincoln College Group Director of ASI and Strategic Growth, Tom Marsden said: “Like the whole of the town, we’re hugely excited about the progress being made on site and we can’t wait to see the building. Young people completing their GCSEs this year can apply for our engineer, pilot, space engineering, groundcrew and military pathways now and they will benefit from these fabulous new facilities during their course, as well as the chance to fly in our ASI aircraft and flight simulators.” Councillor David Lloyd, Co-Chair of Newark Town Board and Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “It is fantastic to see the vision for the Air and Space Institute coming to life in Newark and I know many local people are looking forward to having this huge asset in our district. Providing skills locally is a key driver for the whole package of projects being funded under Newark’s Town Fund initiative. “The ASI will be a huge boost for Newark’s inspiring generations of future pilots, ground crew and engineers to see its new home when it is completed. It will help shape the ambition for Newark’s future, making it a place people want to live, work, study and visit and I look forward to seeing the progress over the forthcoming years.” To find out more about the ASI Newark, please visit: https://asi-newark.co.uk To find out more about G F Tomlinson, please visit: https://gftomlinson.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Balfour Beatty today announces that it has been awarded a c.£90 million contract by Fife College for the design and construction of a new learning campus in Dunfermline, Scotland. Balfour Beatty will be responsible for the delivery of three interlinking buildings spanning over 20,000m2, which will house state-of-the-art teaching facilities and learning spaces for students, staff and business clients. As part of its commitment to leaving a lasting, positive legacy for the communities in which it operates, Balfour Beatty has committed to 50% of its workforce being made up of people from the local, surrounding area. Once complete, the campus will bring together c.4,500 school pupils and college students from Fife College, St Columba’s RC High School and Woodmill High School. Hector MacAulay MBE, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s regional business in Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to design and construct the new Fife College campus in Dunfermline, testament to our significant experience and expertise in delivering further education projects in Scotland. “Throughout, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to positively impacting local communities and stimulating economic growth, providing numerous employment opportunities for local people as well as work experience placements for students.” Main construction is scheduled to commence later this month. At peak construction, Balfour Beatty will employ approximately 400 people including a number of apprenticeship and graduate positions. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Willmott Dixon has been appointed to work with the University of Exeter to complete detailed designs to build a new Multi-Faith Centre at Streatham Campus. Construction is due to start in summer this year. Exeter City Council recently approved plans to develop the Multi-Faith Centre, which will replace the existing Muslim prayer rooms and multi-faith spaces in the Old Library with a 50 person Muslim prayer space and a multi-faith space. It will also house communal meeting space, a kitchen, a dedicated office for the Multifaith Chaplaincy Team, a Changing Places facility and an external terrace area. “We are really excited to progress our plans for the new Multi-Faith Centre. The University is committed to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion and developing cultural competence working with partners across Exeter and Cornwall, and the wider region,” said Shraddha Chaudhary, Assistant Director for Culture and Inclusion at the University of Exeter. Sustainability and reducing carbon emissions are fundamental to the design of the new Multi-Faith Centre, which aims to achieve the Passivhaus standard. Features include the use of highly efficient porotherm blocks, air source heat pumps and PV panels on the building’s roof. Willmott Dixon has been working with a professional team, that includes Faithful and Gould, Group Emmett Design, SE3Design, Sands, SDS and ARUP. “Having worked with the University of Exeter on a number of projects, we are looking forward to delivering this new and inclusive Multi-Faith Centre and supporting the University’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, culture and heritage of its students and the wider community. This project aligns with our commitment to push the boundaries of sustainable design construction and operation of building,” added Rob Woolcock, Director at Willmott Dixon. The contractor has worked for the University of Exeter before on several projects. It has also several Passivhaus projects under its belt, including the Centre for Medicine at the University of Leicester and the Harris Academy in Sutton. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield, Staffordshire, celebrated the official opening of its £4.8m free school with the local community last week (Friday 13 January). The two-storey building, which was constructed by Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson and completed in summer 2022, opened to 210 primary and 26 nursery pupils in autumn last year – being the first school to be built in the area in over 40 years. “We’re delighted to have marked the official opening of Fradley Park Primary School, working collaboratively alongside Staffordshire County Council and Entrust, which has provided much-needed school places for young children within the local area. The brand-new facilities and state-of-the-art classrooms have created enhanced environments for children to learn and grow, and the ceremony was a great opportunity to see them explore their fantastic new school,” said Kevin Dodds, Construction Director at G F Tomlinson. The opening ceremony was attended by Ben Robinson, High Sheriff and County Councillor Jonathan Price from Staffordshire County Council, Construction Director Kevin Dodds from G F Tomlinson, and CEO of John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust Mike Donoghue. As well as approximately 50 guests, comprising school staff and governors, John Taylor MAT directors and members, and colleagues from the local authority and other partner and community organisations. “I was really pleased to officially open Fradley Park Primary, which is the latest primary school in the county to be built in response to growing demand for school places in the area. It’s been great to see the first classes of children settling in well to their new school, which looks to be a fantastic place for them to start their education journey,” commented Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education Jonathan Price. The occasion was marked with speeches and a presentation of the school’s journey, before the Lichfield school was officially opened by Ben Robinson, High Sheriff of Staffordshire County Council and County Councillor Jonathan Price, Cabinet Member for Education and SEND. The school was delivered through the Staffordshire County Council Framework, and project managed by Entrust, and is now being managed by the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust. This is one of six educational schemes that G F Tomlinson has delivered within Staffordshire alongside Entrust, with the Derby-headquartered firm recently completing the latest scheme – Bramshall Meadows First School in Uttoxeter. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sir Robert McAlpine has today announced practical completion of Co-op Academy Belle Vue in East Manchester, with the school opening this week. Formerly a 12.6-acre brownfield site hosting a Showcase Cinema, the new co-educational school will be home to 1,200 pupils when full and consists of a main three-storey building including reception, community hub, library and dining hall, with a teaching block and adjoining drama block. The new Co-op Academy Belle Vue also boasts a two-storey sports block with Sports England-standard pitches and a multi-use games area behind it that will accommodate a range of sports including tennis and basketball and training for netball and hockey. The sports block was built with separate access for the wider East Manchester community, and both school and community will be served by Co-op Academy Belle Vue’s new 140-space car park with electric charging points and play area. Sir Robert McAlpine worked closely with an array of stakeholders on the project, from sub-contractors to the Co-op Academies Trust. Co-op Academies Trust has 30 schools and colleges across the north of England and was appointed by the Department for Education in cooperation with Manchester City Council to run Co-op Academy Belle Vue since its first intake of year 7 students in September 2021. Co-op Academy Belle Vue operated from temporary premises in Connell Co-op College, East Manchester whilst Sir Robert McAlpine was working on the new site. With the end user in mind, principles of education and community engagement guided the project at all stages. Sir Robert McAlpine hosted two students at a time from a nearby construction college to provide practical hands-on site experience during the build, and it supported subcontractor Marlborough in providing bricklaying demonstrations at a local college, in a move to help address the current skills gap. In addition, the project was named ‘Best Framework Collaboration Project’ at the Pagabo awards last year alongside Faithful+Gould and Manchester City Council. Paul Quinn, Sir Robert McAlpine’s Regional Director – North West & Yorkshire, commented, “We are proud to deliver this new state-of-the-art school for East Manchester. The project is testament to the cooperation and positivity of our teams. Spaces for young people and communities to come together, learn and thrive are so important, and we hope East Manchester enjoys all that Belle Vue has to offer.” Dr Chris Tomlinson, CEO of the Co-op Academies Trust, said, “We are delighted the students can move in and start enjoying Co-op Academy Belle Vue’s state of the art new site. It may not be a new school year, but it’s a new year nonetheless, and it’s great to see it in by looking forward to delivering all the ambitious and aspirational young futures this new site will help Co-op Academy Belle Vue’s students to achieve. My sincere thanks to Vicki England, Project Manager for Co-op Academies Trust, Sir Robert McAlpine and all the teams involved.” Jonathan Parker, Head of Construction at Pagabo, said: “I’m delighted to see this fantastic project reach completion, with the state-of-the-art facilities now ready for students to take advantage of. Manchester City Council engaged with Pagabo to appoint both a consultant and contractor for the scheme. Our Professional Services and Major Works frameworks provided the perfect solutions, with Faithful+Gould and Sir Robert McAlpine appointed in a quick and compliant manner. The collaboration between the entire project team has been clear to see from day one and is a huge reason why they were recognised for this at our yearly awards ceremony in 2022.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans to develop a new secondary school fin the Burgess Hill area have been approved. West Sussex County Council and co-applicant Homes England’s plans to create a zero-carbon school were approval by Mid Sussex District Council’s planning committee on 15 December 2022. Committee members praised the ‘excellent’ and ‘unique’ designs before voting unanimously in favour. The ambitious design will allow the school to generate its own renewable energy on site without using any fossil fuels. It aims to be the first school in West Sussex to achieve Passivhaus certification, the highest standard of energy efficiency a building can reach, and offer excellent educational facilities to 900 local children. The school will be created at Homes England’s new Brookleigh development near Burgess Hill to provide a high-quality education to families of the 3,500 homes and the surrounding area. “Planning approval marks a major milestone in our ambition to create an environmentally-friendly and high-quality new secondary school in Mid Sussex. It is uniquely designed to achieve Passivhaus certification and lead the way in energy efficiency. In addition, Brookleigh families will be able to walk or cycle to their new place of education, again demonstrating the County Council’s commitment to significantly reducing carbon emissions as part of our Climate Change Strategy. By creating this modern and high standard school, we are investing in our children’s future and in the long-term future of our county,” said Nigel Jupp, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills. West Sussex County Council has approved capital funding of £57.060m to build the secondary school, making it the largest capital project the council has delivered. This includes a £18.159m contribution from Homes England as part of the overall development. The new secondary school is being delivered through the County Council’s multi-disciplinary consultancy partnership with Faithful+Gould, with Atkins and Cundalls leading on the design. The school will include a Special Support Centre enabling children with special educational needs and disabilities to be supported to learn in a mainstream school. Net-zero in operation, the building has energy efficiency at the heart of every area of its design. Its position will provide maximum sunlight to nearly 1,000 solar photovoltaic panels generating an estimated 296,000 kWh of energy a year. The LED lighting will be controlled automatically by daylight and movement detection. The main building will have fresh air ventilation, keeping the school a comfortable temperature, even in extreme heat. “This is a really positive step forward for the proposed school which has been designed to promote well-being and educational attainment for all learners who use the building and create a project with a low environmental impact,” concluded Richard Christmas, lead designer at Atkins. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Environmentally driven architectural practice, Lungfish Architects has successfully partnered with Morgan Sindall Construction to deliver more than £30m-worth of educational infrastructure in Derby, helping to generate 1,440 additional school places. Lungfish has designed and delivered some of Derby City Council and Derby County Council’s most recent transformative school projects including Hackwood Primary Academy, Castleward Primary School, Highfields Spencer Academy, Ravensdale Infant & Nursery and, most recently, Snelsmoor Grange Primary School which is due to open in September 2023. Procured through SCAPE’s frameworks over the past three years, the completed projects have all been delivered on time, on budget and with an average client satisfaction of score of 9.5/10. The milestone reaffirms Lungfish’s commitment to creating sustainable and purposeful learning environments that support sustainable community regeneration. Working closely with each council, Lungfish undertook an extensive research and development study outlining exemplar school design and developing a standardised kit of parts. This standardised approach could be applied to any school site, whilst delivering the council’s educational requirements. Utilising simplicity and design-led methods, Lungfish Architects has also sought to maximise space. The layout and shape of each school building was carefully designed to suit the day-to-day management, needs, and user flow through the schools to deliver greater efficiency. Each classroom maximises natural day light and encapsulates external views, while unique educational facilities and environments encourages positive and engaging learning environments. For Castleward Primary School, a constrained inner-city site, the addition of a rooftop play area helped the school achieve more outdoor space than the site would have traditionally allowed, while at Ravensdale Infant & Nursery, every classroom had their own outdoor access for play and lessons outside. New trees and a wild meadow were also installed to create biodiverse learning areas. Simon Reid, managing director at Lungfish Architects, said: “The five school projects mark another important milestone for Lungfish and our commitment to pushing the boundaries of educational design. Creating buildings that improve the lives of communities continues to inspire us and we approach every project with the same mantra. “Utilising offsite construction methods has resulted in a reduction of time spent on site, allowing the delivery timescales for each project to be shortened and school places to be opened up sooner. Modular design and construction also drives down the amount of embodied carbon within each school. “Working closely with the delivery team at Morgan Sindall has allowed our design concepts and visions for these schools to become a reality. They are true assets to the local area and will play a vital role in educating generations to come.” Rob Cant, SCAPE Framework Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “We first partnered with Lungfish Architects on Hackwood Primary Academy. Not only was this project the largest to be delivered through the SCAPE Venture framework at the time, but it was also the first modular build project we had delivered in the Midlands. Working closely with the Lungfish team we have since gone on to develop an industry leading approach to modular construction that uses the very latest advances and technologies in modern methods of construction. Coupled with our proven ability to deliver traditional builds, we feel we are now perfectly placed to quickly respond to our clients’ needs with a number of solutions.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Building and civil engineering firm McLaughlin & Harvey has been chosen as the preferred construction partner for City of Wolverhampton Council’s City Learning Quarter. The company will be developing the detailed designs while carry out some minor preparatory works ahead of construction starting in spring. Developed by the Council in partnership with City of Wolverhampton College, the City Learning Quarter scheme will deliver a purpose-built learning facility for young people and adults at the heart of the city centre to drive up skills levels. “We are delighted to have been appointed as City of Wolverhampton Council’s construction partner for their City Learning Quarter project. This is our thirteenth project under the Crown Commercial Service CWAS RM6088 Framework, having recently completed Darroch House, Edinburgh and UKAEA Material Research Facility. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Council on the design and preparatory works,” said Michael Kieran, McLaughlin & Harvey Construction Director. The City Learning Quarter, set over 10,000 square metres, will be situated around the Old Hall Street and St. George’s Parade area of the city centre, incorporating a site on the corner of Garrick Street and Bilston Street, where the former Faces nightclub building once stood. The state-of-the-art education facility will also see investment in the building and public realm around them. It will encompass City of Wolverhampton College’s Metro One Campus, the council’s Adult Education Service and Central Library, creating an enhanced learning environment for everyone as well as significantly paving the way for City of Wolverhampton College to move from its out-dated Paget Road site, which has been identified as land to build much-needed housing. In addition to the new facilities providing educational benefits for the city, the City Learning Quarter will generate and safeguard 750 jobs in the local economy. Initially supported by a £6.2 million investment from the Council and Black Country LEP, the scheme secured a further £5 million in funding from the Towns Fund, as well as £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund and a further £20 million from the Department for Education. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
University of Cambridge’s ‘Homerton College Dining Hall’ designed by architects Feilden Fowles, is the UK’s best new timber building, having won the Gold Award at the 2022 Wood Awards. Elegant and impressive, the dining hall was praised by the judges for how it celebrates the integrity and inherent beauty of its materials, from its design through to its incredible craftsmanship, and for the space it creates which is both welcoming and inspiring to students. The dining hall, buttery, kitchens, and associated amenities give rise to a bright, airy, and efficient setting by day, which can transform into a dramatic ceremonial setting at night. The ash-lined buttery serves as a café and provides an area to socialise or study. At the heart of the hall is an impressive timber structure with no interrupting supports that allows for a large, clear space; breath taking to building professionals, educators, and students alike. Each sweet chestnut glulam truss in the hall is formed of four members which are connected at a central node and to the full height columns on each side, while above these beams an engineered timber roof deck lends lateral stability. This combination of high performing engineered timber with traditional joinery achieves an elegance, revealed in the butterfly truss design, which echoes traditional collegiate halls in its aesthetics, but also exploits the compressive strength of timber in its structure. The Wood Awards building judges, a team of world leading professionals led by Jim Greaves of Hopkins Architects, visited all 20 buildings shortlisted in the Wood Awards before deciding the winner, in one of the UK’s most rigorous assessments for any competition. On deciding on Homerton College Dining Hall as the Gold Winner, the judges said they were impressed by the harmony of the structure with the rest of the college, allowing for light and flow from the garden and to other areas of the college to create a building both ‘natural and iconic’. Homerton College Dining Hall beat more than 200 building in the UK to claim the Gold Award. They were also the winner of the Education category, and of the Structural Award. The award makes a two-year clean sweep for the University of Cambridge, who won the Gold Award with their Magdalene College Library last year before going on to win the RIBA Stirling prize. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
