University College Dublin’s Future Campus project focuses on enlivening and enhancing the University’s extensive campus, creating a highly-visible and welcoming entrance precinct, as well as a charismatic new architectural addition, the Centre for Creative Design.
Ninety-eight teams from 28 countries entered the first stage of the competition, and a shortlist of six teams was selected by an international jury.
The six shortlisted teams, including Steven Holl Architects with Kavanagh Tuite Architects, Brightspot Strategy, Arup, Harrisson Stevens and Transolar were asked to prepare urban design visions for the Entrance Precinct Masterplan as well as concept designs for the Centre for Creative Design
The Masterplan draws on the best campus precedents and shapes them for UCD’s beautiful landscape, and for flexible building use. Placemaking ideas focus on creating a sense of arrival, forming new Quads and Districts with clear circulation and connectivity between them.
Seven Quadrangles of open, green space are shaped by linear buildings optimized for daylight and linked by defined circulation routes. Campus porosity and social space are created through multiple portals that allow free movement between Quadrangles and amenity areas, which are located throughout for gathering. Forums centre each building and permit flexibility in organizing wet research, dry research, and teaching spaces in any combination desired in the future.
The impressive historic features and woodlands of the Campus are recognised in the masterplan and have shaped the Quadrangles to provide heightened presence to these existing features.
Further information, including the shortlisted projects, is available on Malcolm Reading Consultants.