A pair of innovative
structures clad in Proteus HR and designed to stimulate and improve the student
experience establishes UCLan Social Spaces as a blueprint for modern campus
design.
The University of
Central Lancashire (UCLan) commissioned ‘social spaces’ with the aim of
encouraging students to stay longer on its Preston campus.
Architecture and
building consultancy practice, AHR, sought to design and create a striking
space that engaged with students. Key design features include a projecting
entrance canopy, glass roofs and an indoor hidden garden, as well as moveable
furniture so students can reconfigure the space to suit their needs.
Part of a £200m campus
masterplan, the development comprises the Foster Building and Harrington
Building
Proteus Facades’
supplied its Rimex ColourTex Pyramid Black stainless steel cladding for the
front low level aspects of both buildings because it creates a tough, impact
resistant surface - the pyramid patterned finish hides scratches, dents and
other impact damage, making it ideal for a high traffic student area
Aside from its
physical robustness, the three-dimensional pyramid pattern gives the black
added depths and texture, creating a lively and reflective facade.
Pre-coated aluminium
Euromax AnoMax Ultra Matt Grey Black finish was then used to clad the high
level canopy fascia, again on both buildings. The anodised-effect of the AnoMax
creates a subtle contrast to the pyramid patterned ColourTex, establishing a fusion
of textures and colours.
The primary reason for
specifying Euromax AnoMax cladding material was because it offers excellent
colour consistency due to the coil painting process. This helped accentuate the
clean crisp lines of the Proteus cladding panels which feature a tight radii at
the edges that visually elongate the linear sightlines characteristic of good
design.
“The guidance from
Proteus enabled us to identify a cladding solution for UCLan that met the
strict aesthetic and physical performance requirements of the ‘social spaces’
buildings,” said Steven Leung from AHR. “The quality of this development
reflects the uncompromising approach of all the project partners and we
certainly valued the knowledge and expertise of the Proteus team in proposing
appropriate cladding solutions.”
Both the ColourTex and
AnoMax materials were specified on the Proteus HR honeycomb panel system. This
is a sandwich cladding panel that features a linked geometric honeycomb core.
This was structurally bonded to the ColourTex and AnoMax outer skins at UCLan.
The result was a cladding panel with high bending stiffness and overall low
density.
This allowed the
designers to minimize the amount of material used, reducing weight loadings on
the structure and delivering a more cost effective outcome due to the honeycomb
core allowing thinner outer skin thicknesses whilst still retaining an optically
flat panel. The Proteus HR honeycomb core also reduced weight loadings on
the 5m overhanging canopy that announces the point of arrival for students,
avoiding the need for overly obtrusive support columns.
Main contractor at
UCLan was Conlon Construction Ltd and the façade was installed by Preston-based
Architectural Glazing & Facades. The development is part of UCLan’s
£200million Masterplan that is being rolled out over the next five years. The
new social spaces were complete earlier in 2018.
Proteus Facades offer
a wide range of Rimex ColourTex materials, including up to 20 different surface
patterns, along with Pyramid. AnoMax from Proteus is a range of pre-coated
aluminium that creates the anodizing-look, whilst offering greater scope to incorporate
shapes and forms within the façade.
