| Contact Details: | Liz Fisher lizf@trurocollege.ac.uk |
Type of Project: |
This was a new build extending the main site. There were two motives for the project: Fal building: A new HE building for the main site campus. The College had developed HE over several years integrated within Programme Areas across the campus but having reached 700 full time HE students it was important to create a new discrete HE facility. Lynher building: A new FE building to accommodate the increase in the number of FE students (3700 full time FE students). The new building accommodates the Sports Programme Area and the Health & Community Studies Programme Area. |
| Start/End Date: | May 2005 - 0ct 2006. |
Success Factors
In both buildings it is the layout - in Fal there are no barriers in place - when a student comes in every part of the space is visible. In Lynher there is a study skills base so that staff can work 1:1 with students and this is sited in the middle of the room but the space has high ceilings with windows down the length of the wall so it's very light and airy. The students can use any of the resources and there are no real restrictions in place to hamper this - other than noise, food (users are only allowed to consume water within the LRC but this can be difficult to police at times), mobile phones and the usual restrictions; the IT provision is fully utilised. The staff are friendly, supportive and knowledgeable of the book stock and liaise very well with the course tutors in the buildings. The staff throughout the building know one another and this helps nurture relationships and dialogue. This open approach is symptomatic of the ethos that runs throughout the college.
In Fal there is a social area with comfortable settees and coffee tables, adjacent to newspapers and journals - encouraging casual activity. There is a huge 'food village' on the ground floor of the building and students can consume food and drink there. Users are encouraged to go downstairs if they want to have a break. When it comes to mobile phone use students are requested to walk out into the corridors to chat on the phone so the LRC is generally quite quiet. The noisier area tends to be where the computers are and these have deliberately been positioned near to the doors. The quieter areas tend to be at the other end of the space where the study corrals are sited. The expectation is that users will adjust their noise levels accordingly as they move from area to area within the space.
The induction area, where the plasma screen is located has 1800 mm high acoustic panels (sound proofing) around it.
Ventilation is through the floor with vents at regular spaces throughout the floor - air gently comes up through these plastic grids.
What Is Innovative About The Design And The Use Of The Space?
The whole design of the Fal building is innovative. It's quite stunning to look at. The two atriums on either side of the building speak light and space. The building is not a traditional square shape. The roof fits two different ways - pointing in different directions - starting and ending at different heights - rather like a ski slope. The roof is designed to channel rainfall down a spout which itself is an architectural feature.
The Lynher building is built around a sports hall that has a roof made of similar 'bubbles' to those on the Eden Project.
