The Diamond, The University of Sheffield

공학 분야의 연구 촉매제로 작용한 영국 셰필드대학의 더 다이아몬드 공과대학

주변의 역사적 건축물의 디테일에서 착안한 다이아몬드 형 파사드와 다이내믹한 유선형 아트리움이 눈길을 자아내

영국 잉글랜드 사우스요크셔주의 공업도시 셰필드 대학에 더 다이아몬드(The Diamond) 건물이 새롭게 완공되었다. 트웰브아키텍츠에 의해 디자인된 이 건물은 반복된 다이아몬드 패턴을 반영한 특별한 외관에 의해 ‘The Diamond’라고 이름 지어졌다. ‘더 다이아몬드’ 건물은 19,500㎡의 면적에 내부는 공학 실험실, 계단식 강의실, 대강의실, 워크숍, 자료실과 5천명의 학생을 수용할 수 있는 스터디 공간을 갖추고 있다.

건물을 계획할 때 학교 측은 2021년까지 공학 분야를 발전시킬 수 있는 랜드마크적인 건물을 원했다. 이에 건축가는 효율적인 공간 구획을 통해 혁신적인 교육환경을 담아내는 동시에 21세기 연구실에 적합한 환경을 제안하였다. 외관을 구성하는 코팅된 알루미늄 표면은 주변의 역사적 건축물의 디테일에서 영감을 받은 것으로 특히 교회의 창문틀에 있는 돌장식에서 차용한 것이다. 또한, 외관은 세포의 자동 시스템을 의미하기도 하며 공학 분야에서 철의 마이크로 구조의 변화를 넌지시 설명해준다.

파사드의 탄력적 디자인을 위해 1.8m의 그리드가 적용되었다. 스팬을 최대화하고 층 깊이를 최소화하고 건설비용을 절감시키기 위해 장력을 강화한 콘크리트로 시공되었다. 건물의 내부는 가급적 열 손실을 감소시키는 동시에 자연광을 최대로 끌어들이기 위한 특별한 장치가 마련되었다. 남측의 창문 크기를 북측의 창문보다 작게 처리하였고 외부에 코팅 처리된 다이아몬드 무늬를 그늘지게 구성한 것이다.

전체적으로 건물 북측에는 교실, 실험실, 교육 자료실 그리고 사무실이 자리하고 남측에는 아트리움이 마련되어 있다. 1층 중앙의 아트리움에는 일반인들의 출입이 가능하며 방문객들은 사람에 의해 엮어지는 다양한 공학 활동들을 지켜볼 수 있다. 아트리움 내부는 가벼운 철로 된 유선형 공간으로 공간의 다이내믹함이 연출된다. 넓게 오픈된 아트리움 공간은 자연적으로 환기되며 천창을 통해 햇빛이 부드럽게 유입된다. 아트리움 공간은 개인적인 학습과 팀플을 위한 곳으로 조성되어 있어 한층 여유롭다. 화이트한 공간색과 대조적으로 아트리움 상부를 지지하는 오렌지색 기둥은 내부공간의 여러 영역을 아우르고 있다. 연속 강의실과 계단식 강의실은 총 1500명을 수용할 수 있으며 가장 큰 계단식 강의실은 400명을 수용한다.

셰필드 대학의 부동산 그리고 시설 경영 책임자인 케이스 릴리는 “트웰브 아키텍츠는 대학의 자산과 수준 높은 학업의 장을 새롭게 열어주고자 끊임없이 생각하고 작업했고, 이를 통해 매력적이면서도 자랑스러운 공학 건물이 탄생될 수 있었다”고 밝혔다.

더 다이아몬드의 건물의 디자인은 근본적으로 자연과학부터 전문적인 실용학문까지 모든 공학 분야의 연구를 돕는 것에 근간을 두고 있다. 잘 짜인 건축 공간을 통해 보다 넓은 연구를 수행할 수 있었고 건물이 준공된 이후 공학대학의 지원자는 25% 증가하는 면모를 보였다. 세계적인 수준의 학문과 최고의 학생들을 유치하는데 더 다이아몬드의 역할이 촉진제로 작용한 셈이다. ANN

Matt Cartwright ‧ Dmitry Reutt Director of Twelve Architects

Lorraine Stout Griffith Associate Director of Twelve Architects

자료 Twelve Architects_ Photo by Jack Hobhouse

The Diamond at The University of Sheffield was completed in September 2015, it is the largest capital investment in teaching and learning ever undertaken by the University. It makes a major contribution to the University’s ambition to develop and expand its Faculty of Engineering with world-class facilities for students and academics. Designed by Twelve Architects*, the building is named The Diamond after its unique facade. It is a 19,500㎡ facility, housing specialist engineering laboratories, lecture theatres, large scale flexible teaching spaces, workshops, a learning resource centre, and integrated formal and informal study environments for up to 5,000 students. As well as providing a home for many of the University’s Engineering undergraduates, The Diamond provides a 24/7 facility for a range of other departments, promoting collaboration and cross-disciplinary working in an environment fit for 21st century research and practice.

The brief called for a landmark building that would symbolise and support the client’s ambition of becoming the UK’s leading engineering university and doubling the size of the Faculty of Engineering by 2021. The brief required the scheme to optimise the site’s development potential in both the quantum and quality of space created. It sorts to integrate a complex mix of functions into a flexible and efficient layout that creates an inspiring and innovative learning and teaching environment. From the outset of the initial budget estimate at concept stage the construction and project costs were managed through detailed design reviews and cost planning gateways to ensure that the costs remained within the budget. This was maintained through procurement and negotiation of the main contract into the post contract stages, where the construction works and project were both delivered within the client’s budget.

The external appearance creates a distinctive presence for the Diamond. The anodised aluminium and triple glazed façade draws inspiration from the detailing of the surrounding historic buildings and in particular the stone tracery that frames the windows of the adjacent church. It also references a ‘cellular automaton’, a discrete model studied in the field of engineering and used by the University to describe how the microstructure of steel changes during processing. To reduce internal heat gain and solar glare the size of the windows on the south elevation are smaller than those on the north, and the external anodised diamond ‘lattice’ provides an element of solar shading.

The design provides a public route at ground floor level which also accesses the first floor main central atrium, enabling people to view the ‘showcase’ engineering activities being undertaken. Within the naturally ventilated atrium, curved lightweight steel ‘pods’ house spaces for informal personal and group learning. The raking orange columns that support these are expressed at all levels within the building. Classrooms, laboratories, the learning resource centre and offices are arranged to the north and south of the atrium. These wings and the façade utilise a 1.8m planning grid to allow future adaptability. The wings are constructed using post-tensioned reinforced concrete to maximise spans, minimise floor depths and reduce the construction programme. Full height glazing maximises internal views to and from the teaching spaces.

Roof lights flood the interior with daylight and custom-designed glazed study tables within the first floor atrium allow the natural light to penetrate the ground and lower ground levels whilst also creating acoustic separation. A series of flexible teaching spaces & lecture theatres are located at the ground and lower ground floor level with a total capacity of 1500 spaces, with the largest lecture theatre seating 400 people. The introduction of the basement into the scheme significantly increased the potential area of the scheme and also enabled the basement to act as a ‘raft’ foundation which omitted the need for pile foundations. To enable the Faculty of Engineering to meet its growth it was critical The Diamond opened in September 2015. The project team worked closely with the university to both programme and monitor the development and delivery, resulting in The Diamond opening on time for the start of the academic year. With applications up by 25% for The Faculty of Engineering for the current academic year, the client team believes The Diamond has a key role to play in continuing to attract world class academics and the best students. The ethos of the building is to support work across the full spectrum of engineering, from fundamental science to professional practice. The Diamond plays an integral part in the university’s wider research programme and their partnership with industry through the establishment of The Advanced Manufacturing Research Park which has attracted companies such as Boeing and Rolls

Royce and has become a huge catalyst for regeneration in the Sheffield City Region. Speaking about the Diamond, Keith Lilley, Director of Estates and Facilities Management at the University of Sheffield said: “I am very proud of The Diamond building development. Twelve Architects has worked tirelessly to bring forward what I believe is both a fantastic addition to the University estate and Higher Education as a whole. Twelve has interpreted our vision and taken the final scheme even further than we had hoped, providing a truly world class facility to compliment the excellence of the University’s academic endeavour. The Diamond is a truly inspiring building and it’s already clear that it’s proving a major attraction.”

Matt Cartwright

Matt is one of the founding directors of Twelve Architects, responsible for the design direction of the office. He is currently working with new and existing clients to develop projects both in the UK and overseas. He has strong design leadership skills and has a broad range of experience of award winning, innovative and delivered projects. His experience and current role combines a blend of exciting and highly considered built projects with a fresh and innovative approach to new proposals. Matt has been involved in projects from a broad range of sectors and at all stages – from briefing and inception, through design development to contract documentation and onsite activities. He has also been involved in master planning and the setting of design standards to guide development in the long term. Matt has spoken at a number of conferences including the London University & College design conference & the London High Rise Sustainability Conference.

Dmitry Reutt

Dmitry is one of the founding directors of twelve architects and is responsible for the office management and strategic development and design appraisals. He is currently working with new and existing clients to develop projects in the UK, Russia and other countries. Dmitry is a qualified structural engineer and has experience of delivering all stages of a project as an engineer. He has also spent much of his career working as a real estate developer overseeing the brokerage, investment planning, design co-ordination, construction and sales of a series of large scale developments. In 2011 he set up a new consultancy business in Russia focusing on architecture, engineering, project and cost management which currently employs 75 people and provides a complementary service to twelve architects. Through this unique blend of experience Dmitry has a specialist ability to assess the financial drivers, development potential and design merits to create a client orientated solution that is cost effective, value adding and sustainable.

Architects: Twelve Architects

Project Team: Matt Cartwright, Dmitry Reutt, Lorraine Stout Griffith, Hannah Baker

Contractor: Balfour Beatty

Project & Cost Management : Turner & Townsend

Structural & Civil: Arup

Location: Information Commons, 32 Leavygreave Rd, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7RD, UK

Area: 19500.0sqm

Total Project Value : £81 million

Facade: 2780 ‘diamonds’ overall; 691 clear glass ‘diamonds’