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The Proving House

101 Sevier Street, Bristol, BS2 9LB.

Company Registration Number - 3499053 (UK)

Architecture & Planning Studio

University of the West of England, Bristol

The new Architecture & Planning Studio building for the University of the West of England brings together innovative technologies to deliver a new environmentally friendly home for the first jointly RIBA and RTPI accredited undergraduate Architecture and Planning course in the UK.  The building has also been selected as a demonstration project by ‘Movement for innovation’, a body dedicated to ‘rethinking construction’ as highlighted in the Egan report.

The building is the first major project in the UK to use Belgian ‘thin bed masonry’ brickwork.  This innovative technique ‘glues’ the brickwork together instead of using cement mortar.  It also features ‘ModCell’ panels which are prefabricated, compressed straw bale cladding units.  In addition the building has a comprehensive low energy strategy.  This uses exposed thermal mass to help regulate the internal temperature, maximises the use of natural daylight with large areas of glazing and uses a computer controlled natural ventilation system.

The building acts as a teaching and learning resource.  It is a WYSIWYG building ie. ‘What You See Is What You Get’.  As a result the building’s structure, services and materials are on display and form very much follows function.

The building was completed in May 2002 and further enhanced by a large scale ‘colour theory’ art work by a local artist.