Thom Building, University of Oxford
Client: Oxford University Estates Department
Location: Oxford, UK
Architect: Hawkins/Brown
Date: 2009
Comments:
Newtecnic were asked to develop facade concepts for a redevelopment project to enclose an existing building constructed in the 1960s which houses the core teaching spaces of the Engineering Department at Oxford University.
The existing facade required replacement due to its age, providing the possibility of integrating a range of functions in a single facade. At the outset, a series of design options were generated, based on the idea of introducing natural ventilation in a single skin facade, avoiding the need for the ubiquitous double skin glazed facade which would have lacked visual refinement in this built context.
The design options focused on creating a mixture of glazed and opaque panels that gave a visual unity to the building within the context of the adjacent 1960s buildings.
