Design development

After studying the site in depth, certain aspects became clear, such as the sun path and the circulation patterns that people form around the site. As the site is sloped towards the canal side and there is a considerable height drop, the design takes advantage of the extra space by following the shape of the ground, and where needed digging to form the terrain into a pleasant interior courtyard. Shaped to mimic the hills surrounding Huddersfield, the building seamlessly integrates in the urban landscape. The scheme is split between 2 bodies united by a partially submerged space. Each of the 2 roofs are angled to capture the right amount of sunlight for the given purpose and to avoid taking away sunlight from surrounding structures. In addition, the western body’s roof merges with the ground to form a subtle sloped green roof which is to be used as a picnic or just leisure area for visitors and locals alike. The strategy is to capture traffic from all site edges in an effort to attract as many visitors and to create an outdoor space for the community to enjoy.

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