THE YARD, a brand-new multi-million-pound extension that will significantly increase the capacity of De Montfort University’s Business and Law Faculty, has now completed.
The four-storey building, which has been designed by CPMG Architects and constructed by principal contractor Clegg Construction, is an extension of the existing Hugh Aston building.
The ground floor is home to a Student Advice Centre and 24-hour self-study space while conferencing facilities and an external terrace can be found on the second floor, which will also be used for breakouts and activities as well as external meetings.
Tom Rigley, associate at CPMG Architects, said: “We’re delighted to have worked with De Montfort University again on their latest development, having designed the Vijay Patel and the Hugh Aston buildings over the last few years. It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase our expertise in educational buildings and create something special from a highly constrained site.
“We wanted to keep the design of the extension consistent with the Hugh Aston building as it nestles within its existing courtyard. This will allow the university to increase its Business and Law School capacity and create an inspiring working environment for the students to benefit from.”
The building has been designed to provide students with a user friendly and comfortable space that can be easily navigated. For example, students are able to use the building 24/7 via automatic doors, a lift and two main stair routes, which provide access to all the floors with a central spine at each level to create a split between the learning facilities and the teaching areas.
Umesh Desai, director of estates and facilities at DMU, said: “The Yard is a real asset for the university, giving us much more valuable teaching space and student service areas. The way the design makes the most of the space and continues the style of the Hugh Aston Building is a real enhancement to our campus.”
Simon Blackburn, managing director at Clegg Construction, said: “Higher education has always been a key sector for us, so we are really pleased to have been appointed by De Montfort University as the principal contractor. The new extension is located in the heart of the campus and will provide valuable additional learning and teaching space for its students and staff.”
The project team for The Yard also included Mace as the project managers, Ares as landscape architects, MDA acted as cost consultants, the M&E consultant was Pick Everard and Elliot Wood undertook the structural and civil engineering works.
For more information about CPMG Architects, please visit www.cpmg-architects.com.