Loughborough University Business School and Economics Building
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Loughborough University’s new business school and economics building, designed by Ahrends Burton & Koralek, respects and completes the existing campus architecture, yet distinguishes itself in its architectural expression
Dennis Gilbert (website) Download Original
Teaching and administrative facilities with a distinctive curved facade within a university campus
The three-storey curved linear block of the business school with central corridor and two banks of cellular office-type accommodation has a commanding presence over playing fields to the south east.
A straight block of similar sectional organisation is placed at right angles to the business school, forming the department of economics. This building divides the site into defined areas of car parking and soft landscape. The elevated site is accentuated by an earth mound along the entire curved elevation to the business school.
The two blocks are pulled apart to form an interface to accommodate a common entrance lobby, main stair, lift, and toilets.
To the north, elevations are terracotta, a gesture to the adjacent brick ‘academic tudor’, while to the south the strong yellow ochre hue of the curved wall dramatically responds to strong sunlight. This theme is successfully extended by a bright-turquoise central core.
Data
- Begun: Oct 1996
- Completed: Jan 1998
- Floor area: 4,010m2
- Sector: Education
- Procurement: JCT 81 with contractor's design
- Address: Loughborough University, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: ABK Architects
- Project architects: Anthony Brown, Peter Ahrends, Rupert Cook, Sarah Busby
- Client: Loughborough University
- Main contractor: Hall & Tawse
- Landscape architect: Landesign
- Structural engineer: Arup
- Services engineer: Arup
Suppliers
- External dry wall system: Connaught Group