West Downs Campus

The new building is placed within the site to make the best use of the existing topography and comprises three juxtaposed parts, with each volume expressing its unique function.

A linear block of classrooms and teaching facilities offers a background canvas, against which the circular lecture theatre is placed opposite a triangular roof sheltering the social learning and library spaces completing the composition. The effect is both bold yet welcoming, and accessible yet enclosing, with the volumes nurturing a secret water garden at the centre of the plan.

The front entrance wall is clad in knapped flint (the bond echoes typically found in Hampshire). Above, a glazed bay window forming part of the Library facade is placed at first floor offering spectacular views out to the city and providing public visibility of the activity within the building. Weathering steel window-surrounds and grilles are cut into the flint wall externally to echo the Medieval walls that once surrounded Winchester.

The central garden (Hortus Conclusus) allows views, light and air to flow into the majority of the surrounding ground floor internal spaces. The pond and waterfall significantly lessen the acoustic impact of the busy main road whilst contributing to the sense of tranquillity to this valuable and unique amenity space.

Elevations of the circular 250-seat auditorium volume and the 5-storey teaching building beyond are clad in geometrically designed and ‘woven’ weathering steel fins to provide an ever-changing texture as the sun moves throughout the day.

The lower section of the lecture drum is cut away at the building entrance, revealing a concrete relief artwork designed by the practice. The relief design has been created by abstracting the university’s motto, which translates from Old English as “Wisdom and Knowledge”. A statue of Greta Thunberg by Christine Charlesworth stands nearby.

Awards

A key part of the client brief was to define a ‘Contemplation Space’ for all building users of faiths and non-faiths. Located at the heart of the new building, this space developed into a series of accessible shaped ‘people pods’ allowing all students and staff a retreat from the stresses of university life. These are organised around a flexible central room offering a place for discussion, yoga and quiet contemplation.

The design approach brings landscape architecture and architecture very closely together. The existing site character is enhanced through additional tree planting, hedgerows and wildflower. This re-establishes the green edge to the site, which buffers a busy main road. The building itself has been designed to support wildlife with large areas of biodiverse roof and is carefully planned to avoid disturbance to existing mature trees.

Planting is largely native with selected species as focal points or to enhance biodiversity. The organic building form embeds itself into a hollowed out site, creating surprise and interest with landform, level change and above all sensitive immersion into this leafy Winchester hillside.

The project was delivered to the construction budget, with the University funding the project in part through sustainable banking via Triodos. Constructed through the pandemic, the project was reconfigured to meet client changes in response to a changing curriculum and the effects of the Covid Pandemic on teaching and learning practices. The building was among the first university projects to be registered for WELL Certification within the UK.