Clyde Williams Building, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom

Clyde Williams Building, a new Biosciences Teaching and Laboratory Facility, opens
The new facility, designed by David Morley Architects at Loughborough University is home to the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. The facility comprises teaching laboratories and classrooms, a sprint corridor and analysis suites together with research laboratories.

The three storey, 5,500 sq m building is situated on the edge of campus with a street presence and bounding defining a sequence of external spaces that join Loughborough University with Loughborough College of Technology on the adjacent site. The building is orientated to optimise use of natural light and ventilation reducing energy consumption.

Ground floor accommodation is separated from the upper levels so that the tidal flow of students attending lectures does not disturb sensitive research activities at upper levels. The first and second floors are organised around a two storey central atrium. PHD students based in the atrium have ready access to the wide range of preparation, research and analysis facilities – and professors – on each side. The end walls of the atria are glazed and an ETFE roof above creates a vibrant working environment.

David Morley Architects has now completed four projects at Loughborough University, with a fifth due for completion in autumn 2009. This includes a post-graduate centre, the ECB National Cricket Centre, a 1,300 room student accommodation development and Sport Park (an office development to bring together a number of National Governing Bodies of Sport in an active landscape).

David Morley says of the project: ‘This building shows how a complex programme of research and teaching activities can be distilled into a simple building that also makes a positive contribution to the campus – I hope we have achieved our aim that the building should speak but not shout.’

The new facility will be opened by the Princess Royal on 12th May

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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