Sheffield Hallam University

Framework

YORconsult

Client

Contractor

Mason Clark Associates Limited

Value

£9,000,000

Julie Crawford

20th June 2019

Sheffield Hallam University

The £9m project consists of providing a coordinated space for Sheffield Hallam University to house their Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. Two existing buildings with an open air concourse walkway between them, itself over a double height basement to one of the buildings.

The main challenge of the project was to join together the two buildings with a new roof to create an internal atrium as a focal point of the new department. The buildings are of very different construction; a concrete framed building originally built as the University’s library in 1972, and a steel structure built directly adjacent built in 1992.

Refurbishment challenges

As the walls are all non-load bearing, the refurbishment element of the buildings was largely aesthetic and contained very few structural works . However the concrete framed building contained the challenge of removing the concrete shear walls and stairs on the third floor to open out the space for teaching.

A new atrium

The new atrium roof features a braced steel frame, utilising fabricated trusses to span the distance between the two buildings. All of these are set at angles across the building to run parallel with the full width roof lights and are supported on trusses fixed to the sides of each of the existing buildings. This was supported on top of or to the side of existing columns of each building to limit the amount of justification of existing structure that needed to be undertaken.

Increased accessibility

Further works include moving the lift shaft from one side of the atrium to the other and replacing the large staircase at the end. A new steel framed elevated walkway between the two buildings is also provided.