University of Stirling, INTO Stirling Building

The INTO Stirling Building is located within the main University of Stirling campus. The new three storey structure, which contains office and teaching accommodation and a central social learning space, sits to the south of the existing Cottrell block. The geometrical form of the building transforms the existing Cottrell entrance and creates a new, sheltered external space where students, staff and visitors can gather and pass through.

The initial design concept was that the centre would sit as a mass of Stirling rock which was cut and contoured to form a stepped valley, the social heart of the building. This idea also translates into Feng Shui principals, which was an important aspect of the design brief. The building form can be seen as 3 energy components from the Feng Shui Bagua chart;

• The rock which represents learning and takes the form of the teaching rooms.
• The sky which represents friendship and takes the form of the open social learning spaces.
• The water which represents a journey and takes the form of a staircase which flows through the building.

The new building is clear and simple in terms of plan, which makes it area efficient and flexible for any future change of use. The teaching, office spaces and service cores are located to the north of the building and the social spaces are located to the south. The stepped atrium has a range of flexible breakout spaces which can be used throughout the day. All rooms are fully accessible with clear circulation routes between rooms which are easy to navigate.

The building is constructed from a steel structure with exposed timber glulam beams supporting the roof. Externally, the cladding is dark grey granite with large openings for windows and curtain walling. The roof eaves overhang and entrance canopy are clad in a grey standing seem zinc.