Tuesday, 14 June 2022
A new adult education centre and pavilion space that aims to transform the entrance to The Meadows estate in Nottingham is among hundreds of innovative architectural creations that will go on display to the public this week.
The project has been designed by Alex Adams, a third-year architecture student at the University of Nottingham and is part of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment’s end-of-year show exhibit!22 (See full case study at end of release).
It is one of more than 200 pieces of work submitted for the exhibition by final year students which showcase a wide range of styles, approaches and geographic locations, covering everything from urban regeneration in Manchester to a library in a yoga centre in India.
Other Nottingham-based projects include a multi-generational co-housing development in the Canal Quarter and a new primary school for the Trent Basin development built using cutting-edge sustainable design.
We’re very proud of the diverse array of high-quality work on display this year, and of all the students and staff who have enabled this to happen.
Co-housing Canal Quarter project
Professor Gillott added: “Covid has placed many obstacles in the way of the students graduating this year and we are extremely proud of their resilience and determination to excel during these unprecedented times.
“This exhibition is a real celebration of their talent and resolve. The calibre of their final projects shows no signs of the difficulties they have faced along the way.”
Designs for a new school at Trent Basin
The projects featured focus on a range of diverse themes and approaches - from building design, planning and urban design, to retrofitting and repurposing buildings - but there are a number of common themes that have emerged this year.
Prof Gillott said: “Environmental sustainability has been a key element in many designs, with COP26 helping to bring home just how important this will be for all buildings as we move forward.
“We’ve also seen how Covid and the changing nature of the world of work and home, and the blurring of the lines between the two, has undoubtedly influenced many of the projects on display this year.
“There has been a big increase in the emphasis on well-being and how buildings can impact on both our physical and mental health. It’s been fascinating to see this come through in this year’s projects and is something which we will see grow in importance over coming years.”
The work will be on display in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment’s buildings in Cripps Hill, University Park Campus, from 10am to 4pm on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th June. All are welcome.
There will also be an online showcase at: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/Engineering/Architecture-Exhibition/Exhibit-2022.aspx
Case study 1: Alex Adams
Alex Adams, 21, of Hertfordshire, is a third-year BArch student. His project, entitled Building Futures, Nottingham, reimagines a brownfield site on the edge of The Meadows, turning it into an engineering and technology education hub for over-18s.
The main building, on a site near the train station, pays homage to the area’s industrial past with sawtooth roofing and an exposed structural system wrapped in a polycarbonate façade that glows at night.
His designs also include the creation of a transient pavilion structure which would be constructed to celebrate the arrival of the new education hub, but is a semi-permanent structure that could be moved around to other locations. It would be used to host exhibitions and celebrations.
Alex said: “I love creating schemes which invite the user to define the space themselves and I chose this site as it’s one I used to travel past on the tram all the time and felt it was such a missed opportunity.
“I wanted to create a building that turns education into an exciting theatrical moment and is a celebration of all the great things that are happening inside it.”
James Campbell Exhibition Space Artists' Residency
Case study 2: James Campbell
James Campbell, 25, of Cambridgeshire, is a student on the MArch course. His project entitled The Nature of Things focuses on reimagining the spaces at New Lanark Mill in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
The 18th century industrial development is a UNESCO World Heritage site and currently home to a number of museums, but James wanted his project to focus not just on historical events connected to the buildings, but to the surrounding landscape and artistic and cultural heritage of the site too.
He has designed an artists’ residency and a public exhibition hall, which incorporates local and natural materials such as stone and timber.
“It’s a very important place to me, it’s where my family is from and I’ve spent a lot of time there,” he said.
“I wanted to create something which is very much about the idea of place and is a considered, meaningful response to people’s activity there.
“Turner spent time there and painted there, but that’s sort of been forgotten and I wanted to create something that reflected the rich artistic history of the place as well as its industrial credentials.
“It’s about reflecting the feel of the place, the activities and cultural history, not just the black and white dates on a timeline.”
Trafford Water: Eight Minute Living Community
Case study 3: Xiaoya Liu
Xiaoya Liu, 27, of Chengdu, China, studied on the Masters Design Project 2 course. Her project entitled ‘Trafford Water: Eight Minute Living Community’ focused on revitalising an area of Trafford Park in Manchester, turning it into an accessible, safe, comfortable, community for all, where everything you need is within an eight-minute walk.
She said: “We wanted the community to have easy access to public facilities, and for families, the elderly, couples and other types of people to live happily together.”
Her plans for the site, which is bordered by the Manchester Ship Canal, included ‘cooperative living’ spaces, where every block contains communal spaces for work and study, exercising, and where residents can spend time together. It also encourages environmentally responsible travel, with many bus stops, tram stops and bike lanes around the site.
Story credits
For more information contact Emma Thorne, Head of News in the Press Office at The University of Nottingham, on +44 (0)115 846 8092 or by email at emma.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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