Julian Study Centre

• Creative design to guidelines for 1960s listed campus.
• Level change on site used for positive design features.
• Bespoke sculptural design of cycle store.
• RICS Design Through Innovation commendation.

The University of East Anglia campus has a bold 1960s design with integration of buildings and landscape. A number of the buildings are listed and all new buildings and landscaping has to work with the established aesthetic. Our challenge for the Julian Study Centre was to do this while creating a landscape that gave this new building its own identity.

The Julian Study Centre is a teaching building with a café space on the ground floor which spills out onto a terrace. The site has a significant level change with access at the basement level as well as at the ground floor. We used the level change to create a design feature with a sweeping path from ground level to the basement auditorium. This improved the ambience of the ground floor café by creating the feel of a raised terrace.

There was limited external space on the site which meant that cycle shelters which supported the University’s green travel plan would be in a prominent position. We created bespoke shelters with a contemporary sculptural design which turned their functionality into a positive visual feature.

The scheme has won a number of awards and was recognised for its sustainable design. The Julian Study Centre was commended by the RICS for Design Through Innovation and won the RIBA Suffolk Design Award.