Bond Bryan's design of the David Hockney Building responded to the client's call for a landmark building that would encourage and support innovative forms of teaching and learning. To deliver this and to provide long-term flexibility, a series of dynamic interlocking open floor plates were crafted within a simple exposed concrete frame. The result is a multi-level open plan collaborative heart-space for student-centred learning, with specialist cellular teaching zones at the perimeter. The building was officially opened in September 2014 and has since been a great success with students and staff alike.
| At a Glance | |
| Project: | David Hockney Building |
| Location: | Bradford, England |
| Architects: | Bond Bryan Architects |
| Contractor: | BAM Construction |
| Construction Value: | £36 million |
| Completion Date: | September 2014 |
| Gross Internal Floor Area: | 24,000 square metres |
| BREEAM Sustainability Rating: | Very Good |
At 24,000 square metres and a construction value of £36 million, the project is outstanding value for money. This economy has been achieved via use of a simple geometry, use of repeating structural elements and a deep floor plan; roof lights and floor voids then provide natural light and ventilation at the centre of the building. Externally the building is clad in locally sourced robust natural sandstone. Neither quality nor vision was diluted due to a strong team approach; the project was actually enhanced by a collaborative approach to Value Engineering review, a process conducted with the support of the main contractor, BAM Construction.
Bond Bryan Architects designed this new campus to suit 21st Century teaching methods, where the emphasis is no longer on a teacher-led 'chalk and talk' model, but rather on a learner-driven, project-based approach. This iconic building, named after famous Bradford College alumnus and internationally acclaimed artist, David Hockney has transformed the learner experience using new styles of learning, which embrace cutting edge technologies. Moreover, being designed with plenty of natural light provided both by the central atrium and the many external windows, this six-storey eco-friendly campus gives a light and airy feel.
Located at the heart of the city, the project was designed with a pioneering digital approach using a three-dimensional virtual model created with GRAPHISOFT ARCHICAD, which together with the engineers' design information were then combined into a single model using Autodesk Navisworks. This is an early and highly successful exemplar of the combination of information from different software platforms. Bond Bryan resolved interoperability issues by working closely with the software vendors and main contractor, BAM Construct UK Ltd and as a result was commended under the title of "heroes of interoperability" in the building SMART 2014 global awards (SME category). GRAPHISOFT has since made the David Hockney project their "signature building" for the global release of ARCHICAD 19.
Apart from this, the stunning architecture has been shortlisted for a number of prestigious construction awards. Most recently Matt Hutton, Associate Director, Bond Bryan who is responsible for the design and delivery of the David Hockney Building, picked up the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence Award in the education category. Besides, the campus has been nominated for the category Best BIM Project - Bradford College and Beyond: Open BIM R&D in the BIM4SME Awards, run in conjunction with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). It has also been shortlisted for the Concrete Society Awards 2015 and announced as a finalists for the Construction News Awards 2015 in the 'BIM Initiative of the Year' category.
