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HASSEL studio has been appointed to design the new Advanced Engineering Centre (AEC) for the UK’s University of Brighton. In 2014 the practice provided a redevelopment scheme to unify the university's five distinct campuses.
The AEC, located in the Moulsecoomb campus in Brighton, will be approximately 3000 sq m and its construction is expected to start in August 2015, to be completed in December 2016.
The design will include high-tech and design-led education facilities for mechanical, automotive and aerospace engineering, as well as new and refurbished accommodation. As an educational environment, it will be designed to adapt and support students' activities.
HASSELL Principal Julian Gitsham said: "Our goal is for the learning at the University of Brighton to be more than just a transfer of information, and we believe the right building design can help achieve that. The learning environment should facilitate experiences, interact sustainably with the surrounding biodiversity and, above all, engage. This centre will encompass the entire spectrum of learning in the field of engineering, from start to finish."
The project will receive £5m of funding from The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) that has committed to contributing a total of £200m to support science, engineering, technology and mathematics students across the UK.
All the improvements and additions will help to educate the next generation of professional engineers, but will also support a sustainable growth of technology companies in the area.