CONSERVATION - NEWTON BUILDING REPORT
I'm currently working on the last assignment for this module, whereby we are to produce a report on the Newton building which is adjacent to the main building of Avenue campus. The report is to discuss the insertion of modern additions that have allowed the building to be used as part of the university campus whilst conserving the existing fabric. For more detail please read the brief I have supplied below.
1. The Newton Building began life as the Kingsley Park Middle School for Girls in 1915, opening during the second year of the First World War. It might be described as neo-Georgian or ‘Renaissance’ in style. It remained in use as a school until being replaced by a new school a little further to the north on Trinity Avenue. Having stood empty for several years it was acquired by the University of Northampton and refurbished for the School of Science and Technology:
http://www.northampton.ac.uk/about-us/academic-schools/school-of-science-and-technology
It has been Listed at Grade II since 1990 and the exterior is – it appears – unchanged from its original design (see Listed Building description – Appendix 1). It is only one of two Listed Buildings in the Kingsley Conservation Area (see map – Appendix 2).
2. The key aim of the report is to consider how new work has been incorporated in order to make Newton suitable for use as a modern university building. Please focus on the following interior rooms / spaces / transitional areas:
a) the main entrance lobby
b) the Main Hall [and N-Vision suite]
c) one of the IT rooms
d) a substantial stretch of corridor (including the services void)
e) disability access provision
f) staff area in the roof void
g) Café
3. Specific aspects to focus on:
where evident, the specific materials, products used
the potential for reversibility of modern interventions (to return to original fabric)
insulation systems (e.g. no obvious secondary-glazing provision)
the U-value context of sash-windows (e.g. are they acceptable vis-à-vis modern standards?)
building comfort - warmth, lighting, air quality
quality of internal finishes, textures, surfaces
compliance with building regulations (in broad terms – fire safety etc)
insertion of lifts
door schedule (e.g. fire-safety doors, consistency)
4. Please note that your specific interest should be in the modern use and adaptation of Newton, rather than its architectural history. The exterior is of little relevance to this assignment principally because it is little, if at all, changed from the original 1915 design for the Girl's School.
5. Your report should include some discussion about whether you think the Newton building’s re-use is successful within the context of a modern university building, but also, in retaining historically significant fixtures and details. What might the future hold for the building if it ceases to be used by the university when it moves to Riverside?
6. Your account should be submitted in the form of an A3 report containing a concise abstract, introduction, building description / analysis (as detailed above), and a conclusion. It should be a visually-engaging mix of text and images which would be both informative and satisfying for a client to read.
You should include a range of good-quality photographs which include details and close-ups of specific features, which are also individually captioned. Please do not produce a photo album!
Picture: http://www.northampton.ac.uk/site/custom_scripts/virtual-tour/index.html
