DANIEL GORDON-POTTS CONSIDERS DERWENT COLLEGE

LABELLED CATEGORICALLY AS the ugliest building on campus, Derwent College may actually have more beauty than you might think.

Derwent College was one of these ‘new’ colleges. It is an ode to concrete - grey, rectangular, block-ey, and unignorably imposing. It is understandable why the late Queen was not a fan. Ask most students at the University of York, and they will say it is probably the ugliest building on campus. Ironically, it is also a listed building, like its neighbour Heslington Hall – an old manor house with its accompanying impressive sculpted yew-tree garden.

The questions we all at some point ask are Why is Derwent a grade II listed building? What on earth merits such a title for such an asbestos infested mess? And why does this mean we can’t tear it down?

The answer lies in its quiet architectural genius, and, with it, its secret beauty.

York University was built in the 60s, with a wave of other new universities, many of which are now part of the prestigious ‘Russell Group’ of research intensive public institutions.

It was the first large-scale use of the Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme (CLASP) system, a prefabricated building technique that proudly originated in welfare state architecture. Hertfordshire architect Charles Herbert Aslin came up with the idea to help meet demand for urgent construction of new schools in the county.

CLASP changed how Britain made its buildings by proving that it was possible to construct on a large scale economically, quickly, and flexibly. It helped pave the way for modular building methods, which have revolutionised modern architecture.

CLASP involves using cold-rolled steel frames and precast concrete panels. This allows for rapid construction on site as the materials can be set in a factory and slotted together at the building site. This solved a crucial issue in the mid 20th century – a rapidly growing population and desperate need for more housing, schools, libraries and other public buildings.

The original University of York (including Derwent) was built by RMJM, an architectural firm that is now one of the most