North Glasgow College by RMJM

North Glasgow College

Springburn’s History

‘An icon of Industry’ ‘Laps of The Empire’

North Glasgow College History Plans of the North British Locomotive LTD, Design for New Offices 1908. Opened in 1909 as the Central Administration Building for the North British Locomotive company, the largest locomotive building company in Europe at the time. Later becoming North Glasgow College after the companies liquidation in 1962.

North Glasgow College January 2003

Project Details

Project name North Glasgow College Location Flemington Street, Springburn, Glasgow Type New Build Further Education College Client North Glasgow College Architect RMJM Scotland Ltd – Glasgow Office Completed End November 2008 Contract Single stage Design and Build Size 18,588m2 (Gross internal area) Value £27.5M (£1480m2)

Architecture / Civil Structural Engineer / Buliding Services Engineer Landscape Architect RMJM Project manager Turner Townsend Quantity Surveyor Cyril Sweett Contractor Barr

Design Brief RMJM were appointed by North Glasgow College in autumn 2005, to design and deliver a new build college campus on a brownfield site immediately opposite their existing college, in the Springburn area of the city. RMJM’s brief was to design a new distinct landmark building in a welcoming and open campus setting, which would offer modern flexible teaching and social facilities to enhance students learning experience and increase potential for community access and lifelong learning, in area of the city that has been severely blighted by the politics of the 60’s and 70’s social housing plans. The 18,000m2 iconic new campus encompasses a wide range of spaces, from modern teaching facilities, state-of-the-art learning resource centre, fully equipped sports hall, lecture theatre, café and specialist workshops for construction and engineering technologies. In response to the brief requirements RMJM’s design solution has been to push the bulk of the accommodation to the north of the site, so as to create a generous south facing public space just off Flemington Street, responding to students approaching from Springburn Road and the train station. A diagonal ‘cut’, on a north south axial alignment has been introduced into the urban block, the area that is cut away effectively forming a new open, public space, orientated in a south westerly direction to derive maximum benefit from mid-day and afternoon sun. This plaza is hard landscaped with the black and white stripes introducing scale and interest, and contains bicycle stands, concrete benches and a row of cherry blossom trees, and is activated and overlooked by areas such as the café and main entrance circulation spaces. Parking provision has been in accordance with the Colleges Green Travel plan, and is located to the east. The new build college has been split into two parts comprising of a five storey main academic building, and the two storey technical workshop block to the east of the site. The open plan circulation bridges in the 5 storey academic building overlook the plaza, encouraging social interaction. Externally the crisp, flush, high gloss façade, has been articulated in a staggered pattern to create a human scale, offset with the more industrial two-storey steel frame workshop building treated as a simple sinusoidal aluminium clad box. The open area between the college and the residential area has been remodeled with boundaries softened and blurred, so that the new college is open and welcoming rather than a gated compound. The mounded soft landscaped area here allows space for future expansion, and framing of the plaza. Ancillary buildings such as the single-storey car enclosure and an electrical sub-station are located to the north of the site, shielding the workshops form the railway. The iconic new college campus reflects the direction and optimism that the college offers and inspires in its students and local area.

Initial concept exploration from polystyrene.

Springburn’s Renewal

‘A new icon hopeful, optimistic, open forward facing, with direction.’

Design exploration 15

Spatial Organisation •Main entrance off the hard landscaped plaza into the foyer with the reception. Secondary staff entrance from staff car park. •Double height student café with servery/kitchen area linked vertically by dumb waiter to the staff café, boardroom and admin floors above.

Spatial Organisation

•Accessed via the ‘gr Centre remains at th within the atrium, it lo east and to the winte Student Services and Science department the north.

•Main circulation vertically is via four cores with a fifth core in the ‘point’ for staff only. A grand stair directly off the main entrance leads to the central atrium and beyond.

North Entrance

•The Games hall and leisure facilities are located centrally within the main building in direct relation with the main entrance. Utilising ground conditions the Games hall is at a lower level, allowing views from the Student Common Room in the “link building”.

•A separate Staff ca the student café.

•The music department sits to the west side within an acoustically enhanced zone. •The Supported Learning department is located to the ground floor giving drop off and pick up access for students arriving by car, easy escape in the event of fire and a simple and direct route to the main entrance and student café. A garden has been provided outside to provide further amenity to this department. •The workshops are directly connected off the main entrance.

Circulation/ Café

Staff parking

Lecture Thea

Landscaped plaza

Learning Res

Circulation/ Cores

Leisure/ Gam

Café

Music Studie

Lecture Theatre/ media

Workshops

Learning Resource

Admin/Staff

Leisure/ Games

Classrooms/

Music Studies

Workshops Admin/Staff + Support Classrooms/ studios

Ground Floor

Spatial Organisati

• Leisure, English S Access/Health clas floor.

•The drama/ dance has got a large pic studio separated b complete flexibility separate the two f dance studio is a s and Applied Arts d

•The admin area ho ` Engineering Techno Science and Early E Humanities.

• Seminar rooms, a corners/interfaces

Circulation Café

Lecture Th

Learning R

Leisure/ G

Music Stu

Workshop

Admin/Sta

Classroom

Spatial Organisation •The lecture theatre is located at this level at the head of the grand stair, offering views out over the plaza from the entrance bridge. •The Applied Arts department has all the teaching space here with open plan IT and exhibition areas overlooking the atrium.

Spatial Organisation Organisation Spatial Spatial Organisation •On this this level level are are the the construction construction and and engineering engineering •On •The Board room is located at the very end of the classrooms and the business studies classrooms. •On this level are the construction and engineering classrooms and the business studies classrooms. point. classrooms and the business studies classrooms. •A Large Large open open plan plan area area for for business business studies studies on on top top •A the lecture theatre overlooks the atrium. •A Large open plan area for business studies on top the lecture theatre overlooks the atrium. Circulation/ Cores the lecture theatre overlooks the atrium. Café •The “point” holds the Human Resources Departme Lecture Theatre/•The media “point” holds the Human Resources Departmen Bursary and holds Finance departments, Admin.Departmen and Learning Resource •The “point” thedepartments, Human Resources Bursary and Finance Admin. and Leisure/ Games Management staff including the Principle and Vice Bursary and Finance departments, Admin. Music Studies Management staff including the Principle and Vice principles. Management Workshops principles. staff including the Principle and Vice principles. Admin/Staff + Support

•The Admin area accommodates the Applied Arts; Management; Business and Sports staff and allows overlooking offering a degree of security to the plaza.

Classrooms/ studios

Second Floor

Spatial Organisation

Circulation/ Cores Cores Circulation/ Circulation/ Cores •A Large open plan area for business studies on top of Café the lecture theatre overlooks the atrium. Café Café •The “point” holds the Human Resources Department, Lecture Theatre/ Theatre/ media media Bursary and Finance departments, Admin. and Lecture Management staff including the Principle and Vice Lecture Theatre/ media principles. Learning Resource Resource Learning Learning Resource Leisure/ Games Games Leisure/ Leisure/ Games Music Studies Studies Music Music Studies Workshops Workshops Circulation/ Cores Workshops Admin/Staff ++ Support Support Café Admin/Staff Lecture Theatre/ media Admin/Staff + Support Classrooms/ studios studios Learning Resource Classrooms/ Leisure/ Games Classrooms/ studios •On this level are the construction and engineering classrooms and the business studies classrooms.

Music Studies

Fourth Flo Flo Fourth Fourth Flo

Workshops Admin/Staff + Support Classrooms/ studios

Fourth Floor

Long Section •The landscaped plaza in front of the building creates a new campus for the college. It gives a welcome external space. The café and main entrance areas open directly from this space.

Circulation/ Cores Café Lecture Theatre/ media Learning Resource

•The double height entrance foyer allows large numbers of students to diverge to their differing departments. The café and student room are also accessed from this space.

Leisure/ Games Music Studies Workshops

•The grand stair rises to the Learning Resource sitting within the four storey atrium at the heart of the new building. From here, it continues up to the second floor and the new Lecture Theatre.

Admin/Staff + Support Classrooms

•Around the top lit atrium sit the teaching departments visually connected with each other and to the Learning Resource below.

daylight views

Central atrium

views

railway

Landscaped plaza.

Typical long section

Long Section

Cross Section •The workshops are separated from the main building for acoustic purposes by the Student Common Room. Utilisation of ground conditions allows a viewing platform from this link to the Games Hall. This faculty will be available after hours and at the weekends.

Circulation/ Cores Café Lecture Theatre/ media Learning Resource

•The Learning Resource Centre sits at the bottom of the atrium between the Games Hall and the Winter Garden. The large volume spaces project into the atrium creating interactive open plan areas at various levels.

Leisure/ Games Music Studies Workshops Admin/Staff + Support

•There is a double bank of the classrooms on the third and fourth floors.

Classrooms

daylight

Spatial Organisation Organisation Spatial Spatial Organisation daylight •On this level are are the the construction construction and and engineering engineering •On this level •On this level are the construction and engineering classrooms and the business studies classrooms. classrooms and the business studies classrooms. classrooms and the business studies classrooms. views open plan area for business studies on top •A Large Large •A open plan area for business studies on top •A Large open plan area for business studies on top the lecture theatre overlooks the atrium. atrium. the lecture theatre overlooks the the lecture theatre overlooks the atrium. •The Atrium “point” holds holds the the Human Human Resources Resources Departmen Departme •The “point” •The “point” holds thedepartments, Human Resources Departmen Bursary and Finance Admin. and Bursary and Finance departments, Admin. and Bursary and Finance departments, Admin. and Management staff including the Principle Vice Management staff including the Principle and Vice principles. Management staff including the Principle and Vice principles. principles. Footpath. Typical cross section

Cross Section

Circulation/ Cores Cores Circulation/ Circulation/ Cores Café Café Café Lecture Theatre/ Theatre/ media media Lecture Lecture Theatre/ media Learning Resource Resource Learning Learning Resource Leisure/ Games Games Leisure/ Leisure/ Games Music Studies Studies Music Music Studies Workshops Workshops Workshops Admin/Staff ++ Support Support Admin/Staff Admin/Staff + Support Classrooms/ studios studios Classrooms/ Classrooms/ studios

Fourth Flo Flo Fourth Fourth Flo

North Elevation

East Elevation

South - West Elevation

South - East Elevation

South Elevation

West Elevation

2 1 G

4 3

Principal Ronnie Knox

“The old building was really old. It was dark, oppressive, intimidating - and now, look what we have. Look at the wow’ factor.”

ew from north of atrium

Gareth Roberts, Student City and Guilds in Electrotechnical Installation

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is an amazing addition to north Glasgow, and to the whole city. It will definitely increase recognition of the college, and the area, which is fantastic.â&#x20AC;?

TRACEY WRINN, 33, studying on the Access to Nursing entry course

“It’s bright and airy, and very contemporary which is great after being in such an old, old building for so long. It’s exciting to be a part of something new and different.” 51