Buckinghamshire New University

BNU started as a technical college and developed to gain higher education status, offering a variety of courses and competing with other universities across the UK, encouraged by former alumni, including TV presenter and now university Chancellor, Jay Blades MBE.

The university’s location in High Wycombe hasn’t made it a go-to destination for many young people, and it was clear from a feasibility review that we conducted, that the campus had grown sporadically without strategy.

As a result, the flow and intentionality of the space was incoherent and there were no facilities to keep students on campus between lectures.

The challenge was to improve the initial appeal of the university both nationally and internationally with a state-of-the-art student experience that supported individuals beyond the classroom. The whole project focused on transforming the student experience, creating an inclusive feel as well as generating a sense of pride in students past, present and future.

One of the first decisions we took, which immediately enhanced the way students and staff interact with the university, was to move the reception from a standalone building into the main campus, creating a central student focused hub.
This brought us to focus on a dilapidated concrete courtyard, termed the Rose Garden. We knew from consultancy that the university needed a heart of the campus – a place where staff and students could integrate, create spontaneous interactions and breakdown barriers.
We developed a design for the unused courtyard to meet that need, proposing to infill it with a three-storey atrium that included all student services creating a central community.
Next to this we added a two-storey glass structure that extended the refectory that included an indoor/outdoor area, known as the Winter Garden, that allows students to enjoy natural light and plant life, with a warm atmosphere to improve the student experience and encourage socialising.
Every detail was considered, creating inspiring spaces for people to operate in as they choose.
The result straddles the line between a state-of-the-art business centre that encourages aspiration and a nurturing educational environment.

As a complete design and build project, bringing structures out of the ground, supplying all the facilities and finishes, there were considerations that needed to be overcome.
Works went entirely to plan and were delivered on time for the start of the 2023 September student intake. There were challenges along the way such as the discovery of a culvert through the middle of the site, affecting where piling could be done, the removal of asbestos and issues with the existing roof that required a total overhaul.
Furthermore, logistics required care and attention as the university still had students in situ throughout. The works spanned three graduations, and all the education in between, so safety and noise considerations were a priority.

With the development of these spaces at BNU, we broke the mould of what universities do and can do, in terms of the development process, the results and the impact those results have on the university’s prospects.
By prioritising student experience and going through a proven development process, universities can have their desired outcomes at pace. Where traditional construction would take significantly longer, design and build provides high quality results in a short space of time.
For us, the client is at the forefront of our mind, so in this case we said we would deliver for a September intake, and we did.
Now, hundreds of students are on campus building relationships, playing ping-pong, enjoying quality food on a student budget, experiencing a warm, sheltered, supportive environment, gearing them up for the best educational outcomes.
By creating an environment that prioritises connection and socialising, it inspires universities to perform better with students and staff feeling proud of where they are. It spurs excitement and creates a space that attracts more students and more outside investment in a positive butterfly effect.