Planning Permission granted for
the massive redevelopment of
Watford based College
27 September 2007
The £63million redevelopment of West Herts College has been given the green light by Watford’s planning committee.
The development will provide state-of-the-art Further Education and Higher Education facilities for the local community. 20,000sqm of new accommodation will deliver improved facilities for teaching courses including 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 for recreation.
Located within the civic core conservation area of Watford, the new development will invigorate the area and enhance its character through scale, proportion and careful use of materials. The retention of the front portion of the existing Lanchester building will preserve the character of the conservation area and the new development on site will further emphasise the civic core as a new destination at the top of the town centre.
The design of a new landmark glazed atrium links the main quadrangle building to the extended arm of the public wing facing on to Hempstead Road. 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. Some of the innovative design elements of the proposal such as the glazed mall leading from the entrance atrium will showcase 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.
“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 Nightingale Associates promise to offer a college building of high architectural merit which will inspire our learners and benefit the whole community.”
Elizabeth Rushton, West Herts College Principal
The choice of materials will create a fine balance between the use of glazing in the street complemented by timber cladding on the inside and louvers externally, performance theatre expressed in pre patinated copper cladding within the glazed façade of the mustard coloured block and brick masonry walls of the quadrangle building with circulation cores expressed in white rendered panels. The overall effect will be of a 21 st century educational building nested within the historic surroundings of the conservation area.
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