design solutions
Falmouth extends its creative relationships
Falmouth University had worked successfully with BDP on its Penryn campus, so when a new project came up, it was only natural to turn to them again. Neil Sansum, architect director in BDP’s Bristol office explains what happened next
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N June 2016, BDP were invited by Falmouth University to develop proposals for a second phase of the Academy of Innovation and Research (AIR) on their Penryn Campus. The Bristol studio of BDP had been responsible for the original design of AIR which was completed in 2012, and we were flattered that the university chose to come back to us for this new development. AIR, it was said, was so successful that the university wanted more of the same.
AIR was a major initiative aimed at
increasing the impact of Falmouth University’s research and enterprise upon the creative industries and supporting the growth of the wider economy in Cornwall. As a potential second phase, the Launchpad building was to house Business Entrepreneurship (the Launchpad programme) and post-graduate students in a studio workspace environment which was to be similar to the AIR building. The new project was also to comprise an innovative ‘Link’ building between AIR and Launchpad which would form the main entrance to both academic buildings as well as providing office, reception, exhibition space with the Vice Chancellor’s office and boardroom on the upper level. Falmouth University is a key driver in Cornwall’s economic regeneration and was awarded the Entrepreneurship Award in the 2017 Guardian Awards for its ground-breaking Launchpad programme. Launchpad is an innovative post- graduate incubation and acceleration programme designed to place talented graduates in teams that ‘incubate’ into incorporated, investible companies and
forging the growth of the digital economy in Cornwall, the UK and worldwide through the generation of high-value business. The programme takes graduate talent and builds new, high-growth tech companies to market demand in partnership with industry. This approach attracts and retains entrepreneurial talent, creates high-value jobs and draws investment into Cornwall for the long- term benefit of the local economy. Our brief was for the new Launchpad building to provide an appropriate, inclusive environment in order to allow a culture of innovation to flourish and which would also provide a visible identity to
the programme. The architecture of Launchpad and Link was developed to not only compliment the unique design of AIR, but also to promote science and research. Internally, the design of spaces would rely on high-quality materials and modern, interesting forms reflecting the character of this creative environment. Above all, the spaces had to be as flexible as possible and should inspire creative thought; Launchpad had to be a place where people wanted to work. The new building was to provide
approximately 1,000 sqm of space on two levels with the Link building providing an additional 250 sqm of support and
16 highereducationestates
Images: Fotohaus
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