An artist's impression of the new ARU Peterborough campusAn artist's impression of the new ARU Peterborough campus
An artist's impression of the new ARU Peterborough campus

New Peterborough university campus: Space for 900 people, cathedral view from the roof, prayer room and environmentally friendly

In the third and final part of our feature on the planning application for the new Peterborough university campus, we focus on what the campus will offer.

It is envisaged that the three-storey building will be environmentally friendly, with a “suspended solar shade screen running along the extent of the south elevation”.

The main entrance will be in the south-west corner with accesses the building via a large lobby and sliding glass security gates, overseen by a main reception desk.

A small café will be located immediately opposite the entrance.

There will be a 140 seat, two-storey high lecture hall at the entrance, and specialist ‘wet lab’ skills spaces for science, arts and health arranged around a shared informal study space.

On the first floor, there will be classrooms, a library, a multi-faith room, computer based specialist skills laboratories and an electronics laboratory.

A “central zone” will accommodate a range of informal study, seminar/meeting rooms and areas to wait between classes.

On the second floor, there will be activity-based staff workspaces, shared classrooms and a Muslim Prayer Room.

Again, a “central zone” will accommodate a range of informal study, seminar/meeting rooms and areas to wait between classes.

Moreover, each floor will include space for printers, water coolers, lockers and a microwave, while there will be gender neutral, accessible, male and female toilets.

A roof terrace in the north-west corner will face the cathedral.

The building has been designed to accommodate a maximum of 915 people, comprising 100 staff and 815 students.

It will also incorporate:

• “Best practice design” to reduce CO2 emissions, which will include selecting materials with “enhanced thermal insulation and air tightness”

• Recycled materials and locally sourced construction materials wherever possible

• Solar panels on the roof

• Low and Zero Carbon (LZC) technology to decarbonise the energy supply, such as air source heat pump systems to transfer heat from outside to inside the building

• Low temperature heating networks within the building and reserved space to allow for the future connection of a low carbon district heating system that may come from local energy from a waste plant in Peterborough

• “Enhanced daylight provision” through “responsible window and roof light design” and automatic lighting controls

• A “sustainable drainage system” which will lessen the flood risk and “help to remove potentially contaminated material”

• Other water efficiency measures, such as low water capacity toilets

• Measures to encourage sustainable transport

• “Significant biodiversity gains” through the “enhancement and extension of habitats and the promotion of management actions that favour protected species”.

Further articles on the planning application will appear at https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/.