- Location
- University of Sheffield
- Size
- 1850(m2)
ICoSS Building, University of Sheffield
This project provided a new £3.3m specialist research facility for the Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences (ICoSS) faculty at the university. The brief was to create a state-of-the-art laboratory, maximising use of sustainable technology, and forming an important landmark at the hub of the proposed new Jessops Campus.
The ICoSS comprises approximately 1,850 square metres of new build, spread over five floors. The building includes a small public open space, which provides an opportunity for a new pedestrian link to the Jessops Campus, and on which the main entrance is located.
The design is a landmark facility in terms of both its sustainable performance and its physical presence. The open space has an elevated, sculptural conference room, which opens up new views across the site and forms a dramatic marker for the building’s entrance.
The laboratory floors are aligned against a south-facing atrium, which contains the primary vertical and horizontal circulation and acts as a thermal collector to drive the passive stack natural ventilation (PSV). A roof garden was created to assist building insulation and rainwater run-off control, as well as establishing a dramatic external space.
ICoSS has received several awards. The building was a finalist in the Project of the Year Award, hosted by Building Services Journal, and was shortlisted for the RIBA Yorkshire White Rose Awards. ICoSS has also been nominated for the 2006 RICS Awards in the sustainability category, and won gold at the 2006 Green Apple Awards for the Built Environment.