Project 6: Faculty of Arts
Demolition of existing multi-storey car park. Redevelopment for new Faculty of Arts building providing up to 15,0000m2 (GEA) floorspace for research, teaching, office and social space purposes.
Development to be 8 storeys (plus rooftop plant) in height and to include enhancements to adjacent public realm, new cycle and accessible parking bays.The Faculty of Arts at Warwick is one of the top 50 Arts and Humanities faculties in the world. The Faculty is made up of seven Departments and is currently split between the existing Humanities Building and Millburn House. The new building will bring the Faculty together under a single roof.
The building will house departmental offices and a variety of spaces for teaching and learning. Larger more public spaces are located on the lower levels; these include a large open plan multi-purpose engagement space, a café, two lecture theatres, and a variety of spaces for social learning.
“We are looking for a building that is open, inviting and flexible. A place that allows collaboration, creativity and innovation to flourish. That acts as a hub for public engagement in the humanities and creative arts, and that serves the entire University, its stakeholders and the public, by nurturing cultural value and creating partnerships at the regional, national and international level.”
- Professor Simon Gilson, Chair of the Faculty of Arts at project inception.
Existing Landscape
The design team sought to keep the footprint of the development as close to that of the existing car park as possible so as to maintain the maximum number of quality trees.
Height
Maintaining as close a footprint to the existing carpark led to a building across eight storeys.
Carved Form
The form of the building is intended to be analogous with the Faculty itself which is an assembly of interconnected yet diverse departments.
Cluster Model
The shape of the floor plan enables each department to have its own identity but also groups them together to provide a unified whole forming the Faculty of Arts.
Daylight and Natural Ventilation
The form of the building creates a large facade area to maximise access to daylight and natural ventilation.
Facade
The sculptural form of the building is draped in a bespoke fluted glazed ceramic rain-screen.