City of Westminster College, London

The college is located in the heart of Central London at Paddington Green and is a seven-storey building designed from the inside out. A series of horizontal floors are linked to produce interlocking single and double-height spaces and terraces, oriented around a full-height atrium. The building’s simple geometric forms produce light-filled open and inclusive spaces to encourage interaction between students.

A simple and restrained palette of materials and finishes is used for both the interior and exterior of the building. The internal exposed concrete surfaces are balanced by a restrained yet warm palette of materials, mainly light timber panels accented by splashes of colour. The high thermal mass of the building acts as a buffer, regulating internal temperatures throughout the year.

A combined heat and power unit was chosen as the primary energy source for the building. Reclaimed heat is achieved via run around coils on the fresh air/exhaust air handling units. Where possible each room has an openable ‘windoor’ these give the building’s users the ability to control the environment in individual rooms. Roof mounted intake and exhaust ventilation turrets together with the external glazed louvres system are linked to the BMS to provide natural ventilation to the Sports Hall. The central atrium is naturally ventilated via a labyrinth at basement level, drawing fresh air from St Mary’s Gardens by utilising the stack effect at roof level.

This flagship campus for City of Westminster College, designed by schmidt hammer lassen architects aims to support new ways of teaching and learning. The building is designed to be sustainable and energy efficient and the overall scheme has a low maintenance ethos, significantly reducing the building’s lifespan costs and carbon footprint. The development reduces the carbon footprint of the College in accordance with the GLA’s initiative to “Be Lean, Be Clean, Be Green” and the building has achieved an EPC Rating Class C.

The project used 50% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) in its concrete mix and the result is a stunning visual and sustainable structure providing a comfortable environment for generations of students.