Title: | Carnegie Teaching and Research Building (CTAR), Leeds, UK |
Markets: | Education |
Client: | Leeds Beckett University |
Services: | Landscape architecture |
Region: | United Kingdom |
Status: | 2020 |
Team: | Gillespies | Sheppard Robson | Cutins |
The Carnegie Teaching and Research Building (CTAR) is a new £45m, state-of-the-art specialist teaching and research facility that provides a new iconic home for students and athletes from the existing Carnegie School of Sport. The enhanced public realm provides a truly flexible, green environment that will support and encourage a vibrant campus lifestyle.
The public realm creates a richly detailed, befitting setting and distinctive space for the facility whilst sensitively integrating and conserving the character and grain of the existing historic campus.
The main plaza introduces a vibrant and sociable public realm space that encourages interaction for a dynamic demographic, with opportunities for informal learning and knowledge sharing. Multi-stem trees and verdant planting frame the plaza following the dominant axis of the campus to frame views, provide structure and offer intimate seating hubs. A grand staircase articulates the vast level change up to the plaza level to create a sense of grandeur, extending into sculpted grass plateaus and embankments, features prevalent in the surrounding setting.
The public realm advocates the University’s ambition to promote sustainability and a greener environment, introducing a new shared surface access route to prioritise pedestrians, extensive cycle parking and an accessible, biodiverse roof terrace.