Plans have been unveiled to create a new £100 million campus for the University of Wolverhampton.

The 12-acre Springfield Campus development will become home to the University's School of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Previously proposals for the scheme have been altered after pre-construction works on the historic site discovered structures of some of the original buildings were not viable to be incorporated into the plans.

The School will specialise in supporting skills in architecture, construction, civil engineering, building control, building services, facilities management, quantity surveying, planning, construction management, housing and commercial. It will also house a brownfield research centre.

Designed by Associated Architects in collaboration with conservation specialists, planners and Historic England, the new 7,900 sq m School will be centred around the iconic clock tower building, which will be restored and have a new building wrapped around it.

Internally, the building will feature specialist teaching and social learning spaces, design studios, specialist labs, multi-disciplinary workshops, lecture theatre, café, offices, meeting rooms, ICT rooms and a top floor super studio with double height ceilings. Externally, a landscaped piazza and courtyard will be developed to link the new School with the rest of the site, with the historic outer brick façade being retained.


The building is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2019/20 academic year. Once completed, it will provide space for nearly 1,100 existing students and 65 staff, with the number of students projected to grow over time to more than 1,500.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jackie Dunne, the University's project lead for Springfield, said: "We think the new design is really exciting and will be a fantastic addition to the city. Springfield is a key strategic project for the University and we are committed to realising the vision of the site and the part this will play in regenerating Wolverhampton.

"We felt it was important to retain as much of the site's heritage as we possibly could within the new scheme and have sought to retain, protect and celebrate the character of key existing buildings.

"All the available options were considered and we have selected the best design and build option working within a heritage site, working very closely with Historic England and the council's planning department.

"This is the biggest and final part of the first phase of Springfield's redevelopment and one of the biggest capital projects we have ever undertaken.

"Once complete it will offer an unrivalled built environment hub and centre of excellence which will be among the biggest and best in Europe."

When agreement has been reached with planners, the scheme will go back out to tender to identify a construction partner.

The scheme is being project managed by Rider Levett Bucknall. The design team is also made up of conservation advisors Rodney Melville & Partners, mechanical and engineering by Couch Perry Wilkes, quantity surveying by Faithful and Gould and structural and civils engineer Atkins, which will also provide landscape architecture.

(LM)