Designed by BDP, the new centre will house Essex Business School which is currently spread across six buildings. The development will include the construction of a new, three-storey building which will be spread over 5,500 square metre. It will include a 200-seat lecture theatre, a number of smaller seminar rooms, learning and teaching areas, common rooms and social spaces for students.
The new building will be carbon neutral and will showcase renewable technologies. It will feature a range of sustainable elements, including a ‘green’ sedum roof, photovoltaic cells, and sustainably sourced materials. The curved timber framed and timber clad building is so shaped that it benefits from natural day lighting and ventilation. The building will also feature an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) biome panelled roof, which is resilient, self-cleaning and recyclable.
A winter garden will be built at the heart of the development, which will act as an environmental buffer zone, supporting the passive ventilation and heating strategy of the building. It will also act as an attractive central gathering space.
The project will aim at BREEAM rating of Excellent, and is likely to be completed in early summer 2014.
