University of Huddersfield
Client type Education
Completed by
Award-winning refurbishment of a four-storey block in the Joseph Priestley Building.
This project involved the major refurbishment of an existing four-storey teaching and laboratory block at the University of Huddersfield. We were involved from the concept stage and throughout pre-contract design, procurement and construction stages, providing consulting advice, design, energy modelling and governance.
The works included the provision of new student resources, teaching rooms, academic offices, new and upgraded services infrastructure, and improved circulation. A new external atrium was also formed, providing vertical transportation, staircases and communal spaces.
Sustainability measures included heat recovery and natural ventilation, air source heat pump technology, and LED lighting.
Key challenges included the fact that the upper floor remained occupied throughout the project, and the need to allow for possible future extensions adjacent to the building. The existing concrete-framed building also presented challenges, including restrictive fixed dimensions, differing construction methods, and the legacy of being a major hub and thoroughfare for services and communications systems.
The project was awarded Refurbishment Project of the Year at the 2019 Education Estates Awards.