Defence Online

A proposed £60m civic square and student support centre for the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) will feature a biodiverse roof, a pavilion café bar and a curved glass façade after a Manchester-based architectural practice won the high-profile design competition.The design concept by HawkinsBrown, which has offices in Manchester and London, was selected by judges from seven shortlisted entries in the competition run by UCLan in conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects. HawkinsBrown’s proposal also received the most positive comments from members of the public in a series of exhibitions that ran alongside the competition.The concept uses the idea of ‘threads’ to connect the university with Preston, drawing on the city’s textile heritage and its future in aerospace electronics.HawkinsBrown will now be asked to produce a final proposal that takes into account feedback from the judges, UCLan staff and students as well as members of the public. The design team includes landscape architects Plincke and lighting and art designers Jason Bruges.In total, 41 entries were received from across Europe for the creation of the civic square and student support centre, two key projects within UCLan’s ten-year £200million masterplan to redevelop its Preston campus.