The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has chosen architectural firm AHR Architecture to refurbish and extend its Preston campus.
The design project will cost a total of £8.15 million and will see AHR expand UCLan’s Foster Building to feature more space for break out activities and informal areas to promote social learning.
The Harrington and Greenbank buildings are also set to be given a new look with an indoor garden and glass roofs, along with moveable furniture to cater to the needs of students.
A team of 13 designers will be led by AHR to collaborate with Michael Ahern, the university’s chief operating officer and Sana Iqbal, the student union president.
Robert Hopkins, regional director at AHR, said that the university experience is about much more than just formal learning and with this latest social space project UCLan has recognised this.
Hopkins continued: “It is an exciting project to be working on, collaborating so closely with the student body to ensure these spaces deliver exactly what they want, resulting in a campus they will stay on for longer and a better student experience overall.”
As long as planning permission is secured, work on the scheme is due to get underway in November and will be completed next year.
The project comes as part of the university’s £200 million remodelling scheme.
In April this year, AHR London acquired architecture practice PCKO in a bid to strengthen their offering in ‘delivering innovative residential and affordable housing projects’ as well as ‘large scale masterplans’.
PCKO was established in 1981 and also has a Shanghai office, during which time the firm has developed a strong reputation for delivering on housing schemes, including Church End in Brent and Finsbury Park Place.
The deal also saw PCKO continue to operate under its own name as an AHR Company.
