Architecture firm Ridge and Partners has submitted updated designs for the University of Portsmouth's new Technology Building, a 132,400-square-foot facility that will consolidate multiple academic departments into a single state-of-the-art structure. The revised plans incorporate significant changes made in response to feedback from the public and local planning officials following the initial design unveiling last year.
The new building will replace the existing University House in Portsmouth's city center, located between Winston Churchill Avenue and Melbourne Place. The current structure, which is scheduled for demolition, was originally built in 1986 for the Portsmouth Building Society and was purchased by the university five years later. While none of the existing building will be preserved, planning documents indicate that the demolition process will promote circular economy principles by identifying opportunities to reuse high-value materials from the old structure in the new Faculty of Technology building or other university campus projects.
This construction project is part of Portsmouth University's ambitious masterplan, which outlines a series of development projects to be completed over the next decade. The university aims to become the UK's top modern university by 2030, and the new Technology Building represents a crucial component of this strategic vision. The facility will house the Faculty of Technology, which is currently dispersed across five separate buildings throughout the campus.
The consolidated building will provide modern research offices, advanced teaching classrooms, collaborative social learning spaces, and a lecture theater. It will bring together four major academic units: the School of Engineering, School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, School of Mathematics and Physics, and School of Computing. This centralization will position these departments at the heart of the campus, providing students and faculty with closer access to key services including the university library and sports center.
Several significant design modifications have been implemented based on energy assessments and community input. The building's facade has been substantially altered from its original concept to achieve a better balance between transparency and thermal performance, improving both energy efficiency and occupant comfort. The main entrance has been completely redesigned as a double-height space to create a more impressive and welcoming arrival experience for students, faculty, and visitors.
Additional changes include modifications to the building's overall massing to maximize natural daylight penetration and optimize views from interior spaces. The roof design now incorporates climate-resilient features, including blue and green infrastructure elements, to help the project achieve its target of BREEAM Outstanding sustainability certification. These environmental considerations reflect the university's commitment to sustainable development and climate adaptation.
A spokesperson for Ridge and Partners explained the design philosophy behind the project: "The design has been carefully developed from early concept through to a fully coordinated solution, resulting in a signature building that reflects the university's identity, respects its heritage context, and places human health and wellbeing at its core." The firm has played a significant role in developing the broader university masterplan, which includes creating a central spine of key facilities throughout the city to ensure the campus remains easily accessible and well-integrated with surrounding amenities and services.
The comprehensive masterplan, which was unveiled last year, encompasses several additional major projects beyond the Technology Building. Plans include a 49,000-square-foot student hub that will create a physical link between the university library and the existing student union building. The historic Wiltshire building, a former military drill shed, will undergo extensive renovation to house front-of-house student services within a 21,500-square-foot space. A new specialized teaching facility will bring together forensic services, the university's Extreme Environment Laboratory, and general teaching and student learning spaces under one roof.
The project team for the Technology Building includes Ridge and Partners serving as both architect and project manager, with additional expertise provided by CampbellReith for structural and civil engineering, Max Fordham for mechanical, electrical, and sustainability consulting, and Macfarlane and Associates for landscape architecture. This collaborative approach ensures comprehensive expertise across all aspects of the complex university facility development.
