After announcing plans for a £35 million Student Centre in May 2022, the University has now submitted their designs for planning permission to go ahead with the project.
The University of York is collaborating with architectural firms O’Donnell + Tuomey and ADP Architecture to produce the new multi-purpose Student Centre.
The building will be constructed on West Campus and is intended to blend in with the city. Representing the co-designing architectural firm O’Donnell + Tuomey, John Tuomey stated in the University’s recent announcement that the architectural style “responds to the visual patterns of York Minster”.
The architects are also working to preserve a natural atmosphere, including a rooftop garden and surrounding landscape lawns.
A key concern of theirs and fellow firm ADP Architecture is to make it environmentally sustainable, “embodying principles of environmental sustainability”, as stated by Tuomey. Materials such as reconstituted stone will make up its mass, contributing to the numerous natural resources that will be used to build it.
Alongside using sustainable material, the energy of the centre will be dependent on solar panels and solar-powered glazing to avoid excessive use of finite energy sources.
To ensure the building adheres to the latest sustainability standards, the architects plan to meet the UK Green Building Council’s criteria for ‘net zero carbon’.
Many of the Centre’s features will be designed from student input: Professor Tracy Lightfoot, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Students, says, “We have spent a lot of time engaging and listening to our students to ensure that the plans truly reflect what they want”.
These features include flat floor spaces and new studios for student media, as well as providing more space for the University’s organisations and societies.
Though the building will be a multifunctional space, one of its primary purposes will be to provide an arrival point for new students. Director at ADP Architecture Helen O’Curry hopes, “The centre creates a visible and welcoming gateway to the university, providing significant public realm and dedicated student faculties”.
So how soon can we expect this Student Centre? The university has already been given planning permission to demolish certain buildings to create space for the project, which will begin later this Spring.
The university anticipates construction to begin in Spring 2024, ready for students to use by September 2025.
(Image: University of York)