Information about this scheme

The Creative Centre at York St. John University is a low-energy building that provides a permanent new home for the University’s music and computer science courses, featuring specialist spaces for performance, creative writing and media production students. It provides new teaching facilities for creative subjects at their Lord Mayor’s Walk campus, promoting cross disciplinary pollination across a wide variety of departments. It offers a civic space for the local communities and reinforces the universities strong connection to York, through wide ranging community programmes, accessible spaces, and carefully framed views of York Minster. Students, staff, and the public can learn in and enjoy high-quality spaces, including an auditorium, teaching space, collaboration spaces and bio-diverse landscaping. Low embodied carbon materials, e.g. glulam and CLT, were used for the construction of the Centre, and Passivhaus principles were used to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating. The project’s eco credentials were achieved by using triple-glazing, making the building airtight, providing simple operation systems – such as openable windows – and a mixed mode ventilation system. As part of the design process, a landscape-led masterplan was developed for the Lord Mayor’s Walk Campus to ensure a genuinely improved student experience. The new civic heart of the scheme is the triple-height atrium, this space provides 550m2 of group learning and breakout space, linking the teaching areas with the auditorium. A glass and glulam roof allows natural daylight to enter the building, and will act as an exhibition space, unprogrammed teaching space and theatre foyer with a new CLT stair that offers seating to host lectures and performances.

Judges’ Comments:

“A bold and striking building sitting well in the new landscaped area within the University City Centre campus.”