Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) and LK2 – a unique company of chartered architects and sports & leisure business advisors – are pleased to announce that their recent renovation project has been shortlisted for this year’s RICS East Midlands awards.
The impressive £2.2m redevelopment of Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Constance Stewart Hall has been shortlisted for the accolade of ‘Design through Innovation’ at the upcoming award ceremony.
Innovation was central to the redevelopment of BGU’s Constance Stewart Hall and LK2 needed to find a visually striking way of introducing a contemporary new extension to a historic building on the university’s campus.
The vice-chancellor of BGU, the Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, said: “We are incredibly proud of both our 150 year history of teaching excellence and our progressive attitude which has seen us become the top university in the East Midlands for widening participation.
“When it came to creating a new flexible teaching space we needed a building that would support our ambitions as well as a team who could understand this. The design by LK2 for Constance Stewart Hall perfectly captured this balance and our finished building provides students with cutting edge facilities to help them progress. We are pleased to see it rightly celebrated by the RICS”.
The RICS Awards showcase the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. Across eight individual categories, the awards are regarded as the premier property and construction awards in the country, celebrating the most innovative projects in the region and their impact on local communities.
Andrew Kitchen, director at LK2, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised for our design of this iconic scheme which has transformed the cityscape. This project showcases the impact of good design in so many different ways. Acting as a ‘shop window’, the new building gives BGU’s campus greater prominence and promotes the university to the wider community.”
LK2’s innovative approach to this redevelopment, has resulted in one of the project’s most unique characteristics- the architects were able to blend both new and old elements to create the illusion that the contemporary extension is sailing over the original building.
Throughout the scheme BGU and LK2 worked alongside local construction company Robert Woodhead Ltd, Sutherland Consulting and Price & Myers.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Nottingham Belfry on Thursday 3 May.
