We are delighted to report that last night (6th March 2017)  the Fuse-designed Graham Cooksey Building at Greenhead College, Huddersfield won the Best New Development and was selected as Overall Winner at the Huddersfield Civic Society Design Awards 2017. 

The College’s brief called for the demolition of an existing single storey art room which linked two existing buildings at ground floor, to allow for the construction of a new 4-storey link building between the existing Arts & Classroom and the Dawson building. 

The new facility provides an IT Suite/Reading area for students at ground level with classrooms and offices to the two floors above. The third floor provides a large open plan exam space and a roof terrace for future College events.

The building design respects the neighbouring properties’ aspect and light, with attention to a contemporary application of similar building materials. A balance was struck between maximising daylight into the classrooms through large glazed windows whilst providing openable windows for natural ventilation and part solar shading through external louvres. The third floor exam suite is fully glazed, with high level opening windows, providing natural ventilation across the space. The over-sailing roof line provides ample natural shading from the high level summer sun for cooling purposes whilst allowing it to penetrate and warm the space during the winter months.

Fuse worked with project managers CPC, structural engineers DP Squared and mechanical and electrical consultants Mellor Associates and with main contractors Barnes Construction and Sewell Group.

Congratulations to all the Fusiliers involved in the project and especially associate Craig ‘Rusty’ Russell for his outstanding work (and perseverance).