Computing Information Services (CIS) is a highly flexible and innovative academic building that refurbishes Ellison B Block and serves as a prominent gateway to Northumbria University’s City Campus.
Refurbishment Area: 12,917 SF (1,200 SM)
Challenge
The challenge was to transform an existing academic building into a contemporary learning environment that would establish a cohesive architectural language across campus and support evolving teaching, research, and technology requirements. The design also needed to balance flexibility, energy efficiency, and collaboration while responding to the diverse needs of students, researchers, and staff.
Solution
The new building promotes open plan learning through flexible teaching spaces, research facilities, laboratories, and staff offices organized around collaborative environments. High-efficiency intelligent glazing and perforated metal mesh façade help control glare and improve environmental performance. Informal workstations, meeting rooms, technical support spaces, and a central coffee shop and exhibition area encourage interaction and knowledge sharing.
Outcome
Our educational architecture design team utilized Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology to visualize the building from concept to reality. As a result, the new building promotes open plan learning through its highly flexible and energy efficient design that enables its use as a living lab for data collection into research projects.
Designed as a living laboratory, the building supports ongoing research through data collection enabled by its flexible, high-performance environment.
Computing Information Services, Northumbria University known as the CIS building, is a highly flexible and innovative modern school building that serves as a stunning visual gateway to Northumbria University’s City Campus. Our design both extends and refurbishes the existing Ellison B Block, modernizing its look and functionality by using high-quality materials that create a common architectural language across the campus.
The new building promotes open plan learning through its highly flexible and energy efficient design that enables its use as a living lab for data collection into research projects. Extensive high efficiency intelligent glazing and a new metal perforated mesh façade work to control glare. To support a full spectrum of student and staff needs, the innovative classrooms feature flexible, open plan designs including new lab spaces, research facilities and offices for staff and post-graduates. Collaborative workstations are set around a coffee shop and exhibition space, meeting rooms, and technical spaces for IT support are also provided. Our educational architecture design team utilized Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology to visualize the building from concept to reality.
