BFF were commissioned directly by Coventry University to reappraise their feasibility study for the Civic Centre Campus (CCC).  The brief for the project includes a new main reception hub for the university along with its HQ functions, teaching and learning spaces and a 350 capacity auditorium with a significant public emphasis to its programming as a venue for music, and the spoken word.  Other facilities include a gallery space, seminar rooms, and accommodation for the University’s International and postgraduate centres.

The proposals were developed based upon a detailed urban analysis of the site’s history, leading to a new design approach with an initial options appraisal. The preferred option, which was presented to the Planning Authorities, and Historic England and were well received; leading to a detailed design (RIBA Stage 3) as part of a detailed planning and listed buildings application. The developed design would however have to substantially retain the listed CC2 building, and this has led to a complex process of negotiation with Historic England and the Council’s Conservation team.

With a complex design of this nature, innovation is driven very much by the site’s context and how the university’s needs can be efficiently integrated into such a sensitive setting.  The scheme has been carefully developed for the site while balancing the University’s need for highly flexible accommodation with a long design life.

The project has been highly influenced by its context.  This has required the integration of a 600 year-old medieval vaulted basement as a new seminar room, and more subtly, the western frontage has been sloped down towards the corner of the site allowing views over it to the historic clock tower of the Town Hall, from the public realm spaces.

The main street frontage has been arranged on a narrow proportion 5.4m grid to both integrate the listed CC2 block and to echo the medieval Burgess Plots which once stood there. These medieval timber structures have been reinterpreted in the form of a CLT folded plane roof structure above.

The ground floor has been predominantly dedicated to a public concourse creating a “heart space” for the building with access to the auditorium, café and a gallery/ exhibition space at mezzanine level. A listed glazed exhibition space has been reinstated as a conference space within the concourse.

The complex level changes within the site have been managed within the concourse mitigating the level change across the site, creating an informal break out areas of ‘inhabited steps’ and terraces. The level change will also aid the design of the Auditorium which will use this to achieve raked seating with rear access and a get-in at stage level.

Phase I construction cost: £58m (12,500 sqm).  Phase II will be a further 16,500 sqm of accommodation.