Nightingale Associates plans £38m redevelopment of West Herts College

16 March 2007

Nightingale Associates has made a planning application for the £38 million strategic redevelopment of West Herts College.

The master plan will turn the facility into a world class educational building with the flexibility to adapt to changes in the curriculum, provide work for the local community and deliver a sustainable development on a limited budget.

Located within the civic core conservation area of Watford, the new development will make a positive contribution to its environment and enhance its character through scale, proportion and careful use of materials. The creation of a new public space will further emphasise the civic core as a new destination at the top of the town centre.

The proposed development will provide state-of-the-art Further Education and Higher Education facilities. 20,000sqm of new accommodation will deliver improved literacy, language and numeracy skills, foundation programmes, computing skills and art, design and media courses. The project will also provide a nursery, learning resource centre, and, upon completion will add a large internal courtyard, providing students with an open space.

The design incorporates such sustainable solutions as natural ventilation wherever possible, optimising the use of natural daylight, providing well insulated and air tight buildings, utilising high performance natural glass to limit solar gain, and linking all buildings internally to reduce heat loss. Also important is the choice of robust, regional, recyclable and natural materials. Wherever possible, sustainable design will be inherent in the building, taking the form of renewable energy, low carbon emissions or forming part of the facilities management strategy.

The entrance to the building will be a large, airy atrium space filled with natural daylight, easily accessible and visible and aimed at inspiring and promoting the use of college facilities. Among the innovative design elements of the proposal will be a glazed mall leading from the entrance atrium and showcasing services such as a restaurant and hair and beauty salon open to the local community and staffed by students under the supervision of experienced college staff.

West Herts College Principal Elizabeth Rushton said: “The current college buildings are well beyond their working life and threaten to hamper our students’ progress in the future. The designs set out by Nightingales promise to offer a college building of high architectural merit which will inspire our learners and benefit the whole community.”