University of Sheffield Heartspace

Kurzbeschreibung

The Heartspace at the University of Sheffield embodies a true urban transformation—a neglected, utilitarian courtyard has been transformed into a four-story-high atrium beneath a striking roof. Beyond the physical transformation, a formerly passive, empty space has been turned into a thriving, state-of-the-art center for learning and research.
This ambitious project unites two of the University of Sheffield’s most historic buildings, which were previously separated and underutilized (the listed Frederick Mappin Building and the Central Wing, dating from 1885). The result is a remarkable space that resolves a fundamental problem of disconnection. The outdated and fragmented facilities had pre... read more

The Heartspace at the University of Sheffield embodies a true urban transformation—a neglected, utilitarian courtyard has been transformed into a four-story-high atrium beneath a striking roof. Beyond the physical transformation, a formerly passive, empty space has been turned into a thriving, state-of-the-art center for learning and research.
This ambitious project unites two of the University of Sheffield’s most historic buildings, which were previously separated and underutilized (the listed Frederick Mappin Building and the Central Wing, dating from 1885). The result is a remarkable space that resolves a fundamental problem of disconnection. The outdated and fragmented facilities had previously been an obstacle to collaboration between departments and to the student experience. Now, two historically significant buildings are seamlessly merged to house new laboratories, offices, and social spaces.
The precisely engineered, wave-shaped atrium roof, covering an area of 1,400 m², makes the new combined building a striking feature on the Sheffield skyline—a city known worldwide for its expertise in engineering. Fittingly, Heartspace houses the School of Engineering, whose students can now draw daily inspiration from the innovative architecture above them. The engineering teams worked closely together to develop a strategy for supporting the new roof that made it structurally independent of the existing historic structures and avoided overloading them, ensuring that the project’s historic integrity was neither compromised nor overshadowed. Preserving and honoring the existing cultural heritage was a central element of the design vision. The roof is supported vertically by a series of “tree columns” that define the atrium space. The connections between the trees and the branches are strategically positioned to frame the existing classical elements and not obscure the historical details of the existing façades. The trees are constructed from tapering triangular sections that delicately echo the “Star of David” ventilation openings found as a recurring motif on the historic building facades. This also creates a clean aesthetic that avoids the unsightly welded joints found in traditional CHS-derived tree designs and achieves a unique tapered form in an economical and elegant manner.
The newly constructed concrete apartment blocks in the courtyard continue this clean aesthetic, utilizing the visually lighter, 150-mm tapered panel edges that form thin, exposed structural planes for each of the two glass-clad blocks. The construction of the 1,370 m² double-curved roof on a limited, listed property in the immediate vicinity of the city center was a massive challenge that required ingenious logistical techniques and early consideration of crane strategies and site access. In-depth studies were conducted on the optimal size of the glass panels, and the relationship between the number of panels, spacing between elements, and glass thickness was examined, enabling optimization of the overall design. The result was a refined, lighter steel frame that facilitates installation. Analyses of the roof slope and edge angle were conducted to understand the structural aspects of the steel joints and the glass-to-glass interfaces, to resolve drainage issues, and to determine the strategy for maintenance access. The roof was designed as a prefabricated truss to reduce the number of parts on site and minimize welding work at the construction site. The support columns were designed to be freestanding during installation to further reduce the need for temporary structures. The steel framework is connected via machined joints that were designed in 3D and laser-cut from thick plates. Laser cutting enabled a smooth radius transition between the steel elements while also being cost-effective and easy to fabricate.
In line with Waagner Biro steel and glass’s sustainability approach, the structure was optimized. This reduced the weight of the steel structure, leading to a decrease in embodied carbon, transport weight, and the number of trucks required to transport materials to the construction site. It is estimated that this optimization alone saved over 53,600 kg of CO2 emissions. weniger anzeigen