These businesses are subsidiaries of Bowmer + Kirkland and form the B+K Group
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The Student Centre & University Squares (SCUS) development consisted of the design and construction of a focal student centre and a generous public realm area in Preston city centre.
The building includes a reception area, learning spaces, student wellbeing support centre and roof-terrace and garden over a four-storey steel framed structure. The envelope consisted of a combination of curtain walling, rainscreen cladding and precast concrete panels.
This landmark development created a gateway to the university from the city centre. The centre, designed by Hawkins Brown Architects has a curved facade that embraces the square with a high colonnade, offering shade and shelter, allowing a transition between inside and outside.
Internally, there is full height, open space with a dramatic atrium complimented by a lighting installation. This area forms the social heart of the centre and is accompanied by informal learning spaces and a wellbeing support centre.
The south facing facade has been engineered to minimise direct solar gains in summer, capture passive gains in winter, and provide daylighting all year round. High performance solar glazing is supplemented with a frit which forms part of the architectural narrative. A demand-controlled displacement ventilation system was provided and a PV array has been integrated to follow the line of the sweeping elevation at roof level.
