University developments shortlisted among region’s best new buildings
Two transformative developments at the University of Leicester have been shortlisted for a prestigious regional award.
The sympathetic restoration and development of the University of Leicester School of Business (ULSB)’s Brookfield campus, and the multi-use extension to the Percy Gee Building central to the University’s main city campus, have both been named as finalists for Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year at the ProCon Leicestershire Awards 2020/21.
The awards celebrate the best new buildings in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Michael Flanagan, Director of Estates and Digital Services at the University of Leicester, said: “We are thrilled to see two of the University’s headline developments named finalists at this year’s ProCon Leicestershire Awards.
“To see these projects recognised for their transformative benefit to our students and staff is especially gratifying – and for both to be shortlisted in our Centenary year is the icing on the cake.
“We are very proud of the facilities which we boast for students and our world-changing researchers, and look forward to further new developments such as the second phase of Space Park Leicester and the Freemen’s Common student village coming online in the next few months.”
The architects for both projects are Shepheard Epstein Hunter.
Leicester’s Brookfield campus is situated in the historic Stoneygate Conservation Area.
Set in seven acres and located a short walk from the main Leicester campus, Brookfield House was built in 1870 and is the former residence of Thomas Fielding Johnson, founding benefactor of the University of Leicester.
Brookfield has been sympathetically renovated to offer a variety of state-of-the-art learning and teaching spaces, including a Harvard-style lecture theatre and the ULSB Trading Room, home to 16 dual-screen Bloomberg terminals, all focused on creating an outstanding environment for students and researchers alike.
Credit: Shepheard Epstein Hunter/Jonathan Sissons
The Percy Gee Building – first opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 1958, shortly after the University was granted its Royal Charter – has been extended with a new four-storey, 3,000 square metre East Wing.
Key features of the extension include a new five outlet food court, Students’ Union reception and seating area, meeting spaces and a large multi-use hall.
Percy Gee’s East Wing faces onto Centenary Square at the centre of the main campus, and much of the existing building remained open to students throughout redevelopment work.
Both Brookfield and the extended Percy Gee Building are already open to students, but will be formally opened with events later this academic year as part of the University’s Centenary celebrations.
The ProCon Leicestershire Awards 2020/21 will be judged by both a panel of experts and the ProCon membership, with winners announced at an Awards Dinner hosted at Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium on Thursday 11 November 2021.
Further details of the nominees for Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year are available at procon-leicestershire.co.uk.