UWE Engineering Building – Site Visit
Thursday 4th June 2021
On Thursday 29th April, we were fortunate enough to attend Bristol UWE for a tour of their Engineering Building which had recently been completed by BAM.
The building was created to provide teaching and research facilities to more than 1,600 students and over 100 academic and technical staff. The building was completed in November 2020; therefore, UWE are extremely excited for the new term to see the building used at full capacity and give everyone the chance to explore the new addition to the campus.
Spread over three storeys, the full height atrium lets light pour into the building, highlighting the glulam timber cladding, structural steel frame and concrete floors – all working together to create an industrial look, reflecting the very subject the building was created for. With multiple stepped floor plates UWE now have a future proof space which can be reconfigured as required, as well as the adaptions being an excellent demonstration of the faculty’s commitment to sustainable practice.
BAM & UWE have reflected well the more recent additions to the University campus too, tying in elements of the newest buildings to create a cohesive look, yet, it is the striking copper coloured façade created using Corten cladding which enables the Engineering Building to stand out against the rest.
Beyond the immediate partnership of BAM & UWE, they have also worked hard to include the local community through regular forums for students, staff, and local residents to ensure minimal disruption through the building process, and to create a space that accounts for all stakeholder needs.
Due to such careful consideration on all levels BAM have provided UWE with a building they hope will achieve BREEAM excellence, as well as creating specialist laboratories, workshops and digital engineering facilities for continued learning, research, and development.
Thank you to the teams at UWE and BAM that made the site visit possible, and we look forward to September 2021 where we’re sure to hear of plenty of students and staff enjoying use of the new building.
