£30m design contract awarded for university’s Barbara Hepworth building

The University of Huddersfield has awarded AHR with the design brief for a £30m development that will be the new home for the School of Art, Design and Architecture.

The 7,500m² Barbara Hepworth Building, named after the  West Yorkshire-born sculptor, will be five storeys tall and will complement the environment of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.

AHR has built a strong relationship with the university having worked on a number of new build and refurbishment projects. These include the award-winning Oastler Building, which was officially unveiled by HRH The Duke of York KG in April.

The £28m building – home to the Law School and Humanities Department – was announced in July as winner of Best Education Building by the West Yorkshire Local Authority Building Control Award.

Anthony Langan, AHR director and education sector lead, said: “The University of Huddersfield is investing heavily in its estate, creating world-class facilities for students and staff. We are proud to once again be working with the University on another iconic building.

“This will be a dynamic building which reflects the artistic and innovative work of the departments based within it. At the creative heart of the new campus, it will also complement the natural environment around the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the industrial heritage of the Spärck Jones Building.”

Facilities will include design and construction studios, fine art studios, CAD computer laboratories, lecture rooms, research space, a library and café.

The Barbara Hepworth Building – designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent status – is the first piece in the jigsaw of the redevelopment of the area around Queen Street South, which will be known as the Western Campus.

Colin Blair, director of estates and facilities at the University of Huddersfield, said: “Our commitment to ensuring our students have the best possible environment for their studies is at the heart of our estates strategy.  The Barbara Hepworth building continues this tradition and we are delighted to be working with AHR again on this project.”

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