Design Engine win contract to design the University of Winchester’s new West Downs Campus

7 September 2015

Design Engine have won the contract to design a new landmark building for the University of Winchester on their West Downs site. The practice won through against stiff competition from firms including Hawkins Brown and Rock Townsend. Confirming the project win, the evaluation panel concluded that the Design Engine submission ‘was consistently comprehensive, compelling and demonstrated a passion for the delivery of the project’.

The new £20m project will be the most ambitious yet undertaken by the University of Winchester, currently celebrating the 175th anniversary of its founding. Design Engine’s brief will be to develop an iconic new scheme providing the University with an impressive new gateway building to the City whilst delivering high-quality learning and teaching facilities.

The new West Downs development will be completed by Summer 2018.

We are proud to have worked closely with the University over the last 10 years. Ultimately we see the West Downs project as the most important building the University has commissioned to date and as such we are passionate in our desire to help the University deliver a landmark scheme on this site”Richard Jobson, Director of Design Engine

west downs brief first impressions

The proposed investment in our new West Downs building demonstrates our commitment to creating world-class teaching and learning facilities for our students. Design Engine have worked closely with the University for the last decade to shape our Estates Masterplan and it is a pleasure to be able to award them the commission for our landmark West Downs project following an extremely competitive tender process.”Justin Ridgment, Director of Estates and Facilities Services