University of Glamorgan Student Union
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Richard Roberts Download Original
Student union designed to replace an older facility which no longer satisfied its users’ requirements
Situated on a sloping site, the 2,500m2 building uses a reinforced pad and strip foundation for stability. The construction includes a steelwork frame with in-situ concrete floor on metal decking. Stone faced ramps and retaining walls integrate the topography and the building.
The building, which features communal learning areas, cafes and bars, is accessed through entrances on both the lower ground floor and upper ground floor levels - a partial cantilever section was introduced to retain the existing main service facilities.
Externally, a staircase connects the two entrance levels while a footpath that runs alongside the main campus provides wheelchair access.
There are no entrances from the rear and the fire escapes lead downhill, ensuring that wheelchair users are not required to travel up the slope.
Data
- Completed: Sep 2010
- Floor area: 2,500m2
- Sector: Education
- Total cost: £4M
- Address: Llantwit Orad, Treforest, Mid Glamorgan, CF37 1UF, United Kingdom
Materials 
Professional Team
- Architect: Rio Architects
- Client: University of Glamorgan
- Main contractor: Vinci Construction
- Landscape architect: TDA
- Structural engineer: Shear Design
- Quantity surveyor: Franklin and Andrews
- CDM coordinator: Mike Cowburn Safety Services
- Acoustic engineer: Hunter Acoustics
