University of Northampton / Alison Brooks Architects

Alison Brooks Architects, one of the leading talents in the UK, was awarded first prize for their master plan for the University of Northampton.  The two stage master plan will play a vital role in enabling the university to meet both the need for short term accommodations and longer term plans for future growth.  “The School of the Arts embraces new technologies in a dynamic cross-discipline mix that will drive our vision for a creative technologies campus. I believe the chosen proposal will provide a powerful statement which captures and projects our collective values and ambitions,” explained Paul Middleton.

More about the master plan after the break.

As the design was just selected, the next phase of work includes furthering the development of the concepts as well as consulting with the students, local residents, and faculty that will be using the building, to ensure that the plans will take into account the views from a broad spectrum of groups.  The design will also work toward becoming sustainable.

Alison Brooks Architects commented:, “We are delighted to have won this competition which we hope will be a landmark project for The University of Northampton and UK Higher Education facilities in general. Our scheme proposes a collection of new buildings around a series of landscaped courtyards and a complete transformation of the Maidwell Building into a ‘Forum’, conceived as the new heart for the Campus. We look forward to working with the University to strengthen the Campus’ identity and provide excellent new facilities for students, staff and Northampton’s wider creative business community.”

The University hopes to finalise its plans in 2010.

Further details of the competition are available.  More about the project here.

ABA will be working on the Avenue Campus Master Plan with a design team comprising AKT Consulting Engineers Limited (Structural Consultants), Davis Langdon (Quantity Surveyors), Grant Associates (Landscape Architecture consultancy), Max Fordham (Mechanical & Electrical & sustainability) and Steer Davis Gleave (Transport Consultants).