Project in Detail
John Wheatley College, Glasgow
Glasgow, United Kingdom
Ahrends Burton and Koralek Architects
2008
World Architecture Festival 2008 - Shortlisted
Keith Hunter
John Wheatley College is a well established and respected Further Education College serving the local community in Glasgow's East End. This project provides a major new building for the College of approximately 6,000m2 on a brownfield site in the Haghill district.
The project is a significant component of a wider set of regeneration proposals in this area of Glasgow. The majority of students will be drawn from the local community and the building forms a focus for new opportunities. The ‘Learning Hot Spot’, a concourse at the heart of the building, provides a social hub open to students, staff and the public. The building has a welcoming feel with a sense of accessibility and openness.
The accommodation is grouped into three primary categories: training workshops, classroom based teaching and administrative and social spaces. The concourse links these, forming a ‘democratic’ area with ‘front doors’ for each of these main accommodation types, giving a strong sense of identity and location. It also provides an area for exhibitions, events and sample teaching activities open to the local community. Certain functions such as hairdressing, the restaurant, the library and childcare offer their services to the local community and are grouped around the concourse.
The roof of the concourse is a triangle in plan, consisting of transparent airfilled ETFE foil cushions, providing natural light, controlling heat loss and with a printed pattern to provide solar protection.
Sustainability has been a significant parameter for the design. In addition to the natural ventilation and daylight features, we have incorporated a biomass boiler and exposed concrete soffits to the teaching block ground floor ceilings for thermal mass. Solar collectors, photo voltaics, wind turbines and air to air heat pumps are incorporated. Water runoff is controlled using a SUDS system and roof rainwater is recycled. The design has achieved a BREEAM excellent rating.
Lead Architect »
Ahrends Burton and Koralek Architects
Professional Credits »
CATERING CONSULTANT
Mr Andrew Powis
Sterling Foodservice
United Kingdom
0121 445 0900
apowis@globalnet.co.uk
Civil Engineer
Mr Rod Manson
Buro Happold - Glasgow
United Kingdom
0141 419 3000
rod.manson@burohappold.com
Client / Developer
Mr Ian Graham
John Wheatley College
United Kingdom
0141 778 2426
igraham@jwheatley.ac.uk
Client / Developer
Mr Alex Kirk
John Wheatley College
United Kingdom
0141 778 2426
a.kirk@jwheatley.ac.uk
Cost Consultant
Mr Thomas Allan
Doig & Smith
United Kingdom
0141 332 8907
tallen@doigandsmith.co.uk
Environmental Engineer
Mr Rod Manson
Buro Happold - Glasgow
United Kingdom
0141 419 3000
rod.manson@burohappold.com
Interior Designer
Mr David Cruse
Ahrends Burton and Koralek Architects
United Kingdom
020 7586 3311
d.cruse@abklondon.com
Landscape Architect
Mr James Hope
Landesign
United Kingdom
01506 853063
plantasy@post.almac.co.uk
Lighting Consultant
Mr Rod Manson
Buro Happold - Glasgow
United Kingdom
0141 419 3000
rod.manson@burohappold.com
Main Contractor
Mr Ian Loud
HBG Construction
United Kingdom
0141 779 8727
iloud@hbgc.co.uk
Main Contractor
Mr Paul Jaffray
HBG Construction+L206
United Kingdom
0141 333 9333
Project Manager
Mr George Webb
Capita Symonds
United Kingdom
0141 285 3600
george.webb@capita.co.uk
Structural Engineer
Mr Rod Manson
Buro Happold - Glasgow
United Kingdom
0141 419 3000
rod.manson@burohappold.com
Sustainability Consultant
Mr Rod Manson
Buro Happold - Glasgow
United Kingdom
143 419 3000
rod.manson@burohappold.com
Supplier / Product Credits »
ETFE air cushion triple skin roof
Vector Foiltec
United Kingdom
Mr Ben Norris
020 7375 2756
bmorris@vector-foiltec.com
External insulated render system
Sto
United Kingdom
Mr Grant Littlejohn
01256 332770
g.littlejohn@stoeu.com
Roof-mounted natural vents
Passivent
United Kingdom
Mr Des Norris
01732 355519
desn@passivent.com
Standing-seam long-plank aluminium roof
Kalzip
Corus
United Kingdom
Mr Peter Delahunty
01925 822838 EX 27
peter.delahunty@corusgroup.com