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Learning Resource Centre

Reaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire

Sector: Education

Learning Resource Centre

Background
This project was constructed as part of the second phase of an £18 million campus masterplan to upgrade the College facilities to meet the requirements of current Building Standards and to attract more Students in a competing environment. The existing College Reception, Library, Welfare and Student Services, Admin facilities and Learning Resource Centre were all spread across four buildings on campus, all dilapidated and too cramped.  The College took the decision to construct a new focal entrance to the campus and to bring support facilities under one roof.

Ethos
Sustainability underpinned the project and the finished building incorporated passive solar control, increased insulation, natural ventilation, underfloor heating, rainwater harvesting and careful selection of materials and services to help limit CO2 consumption and lifecycle running costs.

Facilities
The building contained the main College Reception which was set in a large focal two storey entrance space, grand enough to accommodate Staff, Students and Visitors. Brise soleil protected this space from the sun at either end.

Connected to this was the main College Library with a Reading Room, glazed pod incorporating computer digital library facilities. Library shelving was orientated radially to allow Staff a clear view of the floor plate and observation of Students, whilst opening up views to the exterior.

Student Services, Welfare Services, Learning Resource Centre, Tutorial and Meeting rooms, IT Teaching room and an Internet Café all feed from the Atrium and Circulation spaces.

The building is now the main College Reception and Centre point of the College.

Landscaping
Planting beds, lawned areas , entrance footpaths and pedestrian plazas were planned all around the building to provide good quality external spaces for this focal building.  The planted beds form part of a planting programme carried out annually by the colleges horticulture department that allows students to display their capabilities, making the campus and attractive place to work and study.

External Works
The external worls involved creation of large paved entrance areas on both sides of the main atrium space, using the same paving within the atrium allowed a continued through appearance to the main colledge entrance pedestrian route.

Smaller paved footpaths were intriduced to the rear of the building and means of escape routes.

A paved outsoor social space was incorporated between this building and the Engineering block to provide a social zone.

Social Value
During the scheme design period of the project, the management of each department were included in design meetings to determine what type of space they wanted , services they were providing and to look at issues with their current space and how we could address the funstional use of the space.

The library was set out in a radial form to allow staff to view the space between the bookcases and have a view through windows of the external landscaped spaces. This provided them with passive observation as well as views of the outdoors.

Sound was also important in the library and work carrels. Pictures were taken around the campus and then printed onto acoutic fabric and paneling fixed to the end panels of library booksehleves and to panels on the walls, to reduce reverberation as well as introduce colour.

Smaller tutorial rooms were arranged around internal corridors, and offices providing welfare and strudnet services facilities were arranged around the external rear area on the opposite side of the atrium, with shutter doors leading into teh atrium to make student services available directly off the atrium

Spaces were arranged to make it easier for students and staff to work in ,visit and use.

Status: Completed October 2008
Value: £5m
Type: New Build - using SFS framework
Contract: Design and Build with Architect novated at stage D
Client: Reaseheath College
Architect: Associate and Project Architect whilst working at Hulme Upright
Project Manager: MACE
Quantity Surveyor: Sense
Structural Engineer: ABA Consulting Engineers
M&E Consultant: Building Services Management (BSM)
Contractor: Felton Construction

The Rear Entrance The Library The Main Reception Digitial Learning The Main Entrance with Student Planting