Oxford Brookes University’s £80m New Library and Teaching Building moves closer to starting on site with piling expected to commence in January 2011. Extensive infrastructure operations have been underway for the last 6 months, preparing the campus for the 23,000m2 building, and demolition of a 1980s teaching building was completed in September 2010.

Completion of the first phase is due in September 2012, which includes the refurbishment and extension of a 1960,s tower which is home to the School for the Built Environment. The new extension replaces the accommodation lost by the demolitions and creates a new dramatic atria between the old and new.

The main building containing the main reception to the University, Library, 330 seat state of the art lecture space, forum, one stop shop, catering hall, Student Union and teaching rooms will be completed ready for the 2013-14 academic year.

Planning consent has been given by Waverley Borough Council for a new addition to iconic dining halls designed by Richard Gilbert Scott. The 2150sqft extension is due to be completed for the new 2011-12 academic year, along with the refurbishment of existing kitchen and dining areas.

Design Engine has received planning consent from Winchester City Council for the conversion of a farm complex in Upham, Hampshire, to residential use. The scheme involves the removal of newer steel framed barns and the ‘release’ of the older flint, brick and stone barn. The barn will be sensitively converted to living accommodation with a lightweight gallery inserted between the thresher door openings, with a contemporary extension to accommodate bedroom suites and a snug lounge.

Design Engine have been selected along with ten other practices to design pilot houses for the new Mid-Cornwall Eco-Town in St Austell. The initiative is a joint venture between Orascom Development and Imerys and first phase of development will begin with the pilot project to demonstrate the concepts of eco town living.

The John Payne building was opened on the 11th October by a renowned local engineer and alumnas of Oxford Brookes University John Payne. The building represents phase one of the £120m masterplan by Design Engine Architects for the Oxford Brookes University campus. The £4m 15,000sqft facility accommodates the relocated architectural workshop and material testing laboratory from buildings due for demolition, plus two floors of office space above. The building has been designed as a foil for the new development, and is detailed with crisp black cladding with strategic accent colour referenced from the machinery inside the technical areas.

Design Engine submitted this design for the open international competition. The winning scheme, chosen by a jury including Daniel Libeskind, was by Polish practice Studio Architektoniczne Kwadrat.

The practice moved from its two Winchester offices to new 4150sqft studios in September after a six month construction programme. The new facility includes a single studio on the upper floor, meeting rooms, model making workshop, reprographics room and large forum space for practice events.

Design Engine has won the commission for the new £500,000 reception area of LSE’s iconic Old Building in Houghton Street, WC2 ahead of A-EM Studio and ADP.
The creative competition-winning scheme involves the remodelling of the interior, creating a new reception, split level waiting areas, new cloakrooms, and a green room for the theatre. It also involves integrating lighting, signage and wayfinding in a single solution and external installations in order to bring cohesion to LSE’s Houghton Street buildings and bridges.

After 6 months of post-competition design development, the project started on site in June and will be complete for the start of the 2010-11 academic year.

Design Engine has won an invited competition to design a new multi-use centre for Radley College, Abingdon. The new facility is designed around a listed Rackets Court and will house the Racket pro’s offices, history classrooms, art studios, gallery, sculpture courts and a café. The scheme won unanimous approval from the Governors and will be developed for a planning application in October 2010.

Design Engine has won an invited competition to design a new chemistry building for Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey. The competition involved five architects in total: Design Engine; Hopkins Architects; Panter Hudspith, Belsize Architects and Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects.

The project is seen as an opportunity to reconstruct a very damaged and poorly utilised part of the the main Gothic campus which was originally built in 1872. The new two storey building will contain 6 new laboratories, three on each floor along with preparation areas and staff offices. The northern elevation which faces the principle entrance approach to the school is dominated by 3 stone chimneys which house the chemical flues from the laboratories. In contrast the southern façade faces into the main campus introducing a two storey colonnade providing a new external pedestrian route at ground floor and first floor access to the classrooms whilst offering solar protection to the building.