The project for £10 million student residences on the St John’s Campus was part of an overall £150 million investment at the university.
The new accommodation, built adjacent to existing halls of residence, was designed by architects, BDP and constructed by West-Midlands-based construction company, Morgan Ashurst. Two L-shaped residential blocks situated around a central courtyard house 182 en-suite, single study student rooms.
The buildings are a robust, pre-cast concrete structure, clad in a combination of brick and timber. The accommodation will also be used for summer conferences and courses.
A specialist in lightweight structural solutions DSM was responsible for the external envelope, the wall cladding and roof structures. A Guttermaster monopitch roof component was placed on top of the concrete slab, enveloping the edge of the standing seam roof, softening the lines and emphasising the curved design. The building was finished with Guttermaster’s fascia, soffits and both straight and curved cappings.
DSM acts in partnership with Guttermaster, as Andy Foulkes of DSM explains: “We have worked with the company for over eight years on a variety of projects from modular buildings and prisons, through to social housing and educational colleges. The company has the ability to offer solutions at concept stage to ensure a successful outcome. In the case of the St. John’s campus Guttermaster’s detailed investigations avoided rippling on the face of the aluminium roof. Guttermaster also solved the problem of how the guttering could be successfully concealed.”
Guttermaster’s anti-climb downpipes have clean, unbroken lines and have been specifically designed to sit flush to the wall. They have precise alignment with ground drainage, no exposed brackets, an interlocking design for greater strength and tamper proof joint fixings, which are hidden within the body of the pipe. The downpipes work with the roof overhangs to create a major deterrent and obstacle to climbing.
Estimating the precise performance requirements of the roof drainage system was calculated using Guttermaster’s rainwater calculator software. Available free on the website, www.guttermaster.co.uk, the software optimises gutter size together with the quantity and size of rainwater outlets and pipe work, to avoid any over-specification, saving time and client funds.
A range of sustainable technologies was used at the St John’s Campus, including rainwater harvesting and recyclable materials.
