Cornwallis North East is a new, 2200 m2 flexible building for the University of Kent delivered through the Improvement and Efficiency South East (iESE) framework with Skelly & Couch working for Osborne Ltd. The project consists of a 4-storey development for teaching and lectures and was designed to be a flexible and easily adaptable facility to allow the University of Kent to expand their teaching and research facilities on the Canterbury campus. The building occupies a prime location on the western end of the campus.

Skelly & Couch were employed by the Main Contractors, Osborne Ltd., to provide the outline design, including thermal modelling, daylight analysis, overheating analysis and a renewable energy assessment to ensure that the local Planning requirements could be met. We worked with the architects Hawkins\Brown to deliver a building design which was ready for adoption by a Design and Build Contractor from the end of Stage E. Skelly & Couch were retained by Osborne whilst the project was on site to supervise the installation by Mechanical and Electrical subcontractors and to ensure the building was handed over fully commissioned.

Working to a fast programme and within firm financial constraints, the project aimed to design a building that could meet the client’s brief for flexibility, comfort and adaptability, whilst ensuring modularity of components, allowing as much as possible of the scheme to be assembled off-site and constructed within the shortest time frame and ensuring that the desired quality could be achieved.

Options for night cooling were included to allow the building to remain comfortable throughout the year without air conditioning. The building features exposed soffits to achieve thermal mass and includes secure night-time ventilation behind openable louvred elements.

The building is connected to the campus Medium Temperature Hot Water Community Heating installation with heat exchangers and pipework connections to the network, designed to withstand temperatures and pressures from water above boiling point.