The University of Worcester has appointed Midlands-based architects Glancy Nicholls to create a new high-quality teaching facility in the City.
The University aims to transform the Berrows House building on Hylton Road into a vibrant education centre, particularly for students studying to be medical and health professionals.
The large two and three storey 1965 building, designed by Austin-Smith Salmon-Lord Partnership, will become a spacious, flexible, modern teaching facility flooded with natural light from the impressive North light roof structures.
The transformed new building will face directly on to the River Severn, just a few metres from the Sabrina Bridge. Enjoying excellent, pedestrian, cycle and wheelchair access to the Hive, the Worcester City Centre and the University of Worcester Arena, the new building will impart fresh life to the Worcester riverside and be a handsome addition to the University’s emerging Severn Campus, as well as Worcester City’s central riverside area.
The fully refurbished building will include specialist facilities for teaching medical and health professionals and will be a most significant addition to the University’s Severn Campus, whose focus is on health, wellbeing and inclusive sport.
University Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor David Green CBE, said: “Our approach has always been to create imaginative facilities which are inclusive and inspire learning whilst encouraging community participation and providing real public benefit. The Hive, the University of Worcester Arena and the new University of Worcester Art House are three well-known examples and I am sure that this new medical and health building will be a first class addition for Worcester.
“The importance of health and wellbeing in the 21st Century has been highlighted as never before by the Covid-19 pandemic. The medical and health professionals who will be taught in this building will make a transformative contribution for the better to our City and region.”
Professor Green added: “We are making good progress in our work to create the Three Counties Medical School and hope to welcome our first students in September 2022 into this handsome, entirely refurbished, imaginatively cladded, fully equipped building, which will provide a vibrant new home to the education of the health workforce of the future.”
The University’s plans for the Three Counties Medical School are currently progressing through the General Medical Council’s approvals and assessment procedures. The University is currently at Stage 4.
Based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, Glancy Nicholls Architects has a reputation for delivering award-winning and high-quality buildings both locally and across the UK.
Director, Simon Jesson, said: “The practice has developed a real specialism in both new build and refurbishment projects within the Higher Education sector, as well as delivering award-winning designs for social care and healthcare buildings across the UK. This combined knowledge will allow us to deliver a high-quality building, with exceptional teaching facilities for the University of Worcester.
“We are very excited to be working on this project and look forward to sharing our designs for the transformation of this building.”