New Academic Building

Timeline

BREEAM Excellent rating achieved
3 September 2010: Goldsmiths' New Academic Building has achieved a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating with an impressive score of 72.8%. BREEAM is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. Catriona Boulton, Head of Capital Projects thanked and congratulated Willmott Dixon and the Project Team for all their hard work on the upgrading and submission.

New Academic Building nears completion
1 September 2010: Photographs have been added to the website showing the Building in its completed state, with furniture now in place in the public areas, including a seating area near the cafe on the ground floor.

New Academic Building handed over to Goldsmiths
16 August 2010: Today Goldsmiths took possession of the keys for the New Academic Building from the contractors Wilmott Dixon. The Building is nearing completion with only minor works to be undertaken. You can see photos of the Building from 16 August.

New photographs added to website
22 July 2010: New photographs showing the interior and exterior of the New Academic Building have been added to the website. You can view the photographs here.

Willmott Dixon commended by Considerate Constructors Scheme
20 November 2009: The construction company Willmott Dixon, who are building the New Academic Building were praised by inspectors from the Considerate Constructors Scheme. On a recent inspection the report said: “A first class project with excellent procedures established. Willmott Dixon are keen to develop ways to improve and we discussed the unique and exceptional measures criteria. I am sure that they will have come up with some initiatives and look forward to my next visit. Congratulations to the team – a pleasure to visit.” 

Goldsmiths Senior Management Team check on progress
27 October 2009: The Senior Management Team at Goldsmiths, along with invited guests from the New Academic Building project, donned their hard hats and swapped their shoes for steel toe-capped boots as they visited the site of the New Academic Building.

Work is progressing well, with the structure starting to take shape. Temporary steps have been fitted to link the four floors, and the view from the top floor is suitably impressive. Jim Rowland, Departmental Coordinator for the Department of Media and Communications, saw the view for himself and says “The view of the London skyline from the upper floors of the building is wonderful, as is finally seeing the Department come together in one location.” You can see photos from the visit here

Drop in event for local residents
There was a successful exhibition of the plans for the New Academic Building on Wednesday 16 September 2009 where local residents had the opportunity to meet members of the project team and have their questions answered.

Bat and bird boxes
16 June 2009: Environmentally friendly features of the New Academic Building include bat and bird boxes to protect ecology, heating sourced from a Biomass boiler and extensive use of natural ventilation, aided by four large wind towers on the roof. Recycled materials will be used in internal floor finishes and a high proportion of the construction materials will be able to be recycled. BREEAM is the environmental assessment method for buildings around the world and Goldsmiths is aiming for this building to achieve a 'very good' rating. More information about the environmental aspects of the Building can be found under the FAQ page.

Concrete pour
12 June 2009: The concrete pour which was due to have taken place on 12 June, to cast the first section of the basement floor slab, has been slightly delayed due to the rain earlier in the week, and the tube strike.  This will therefore take place on Monday 15 June - anticipated 3 deliveries per hour, as previously advised.  The second section is planned to take place on Wednesday 24 June, with two further sections early in July (exact dates to be confirmed). 

Barriedale Gate closure
18 May 2009: The Barriedale Gate will be closed to pedestrians on Friday 22 May to facilitate the delivery of a crane. We advise against parking near the area to give space for the vehicle to turn. As a general update, we are happy to report that the excavation of the basement is continuing at full speed.

Works on College Green 
1 May 2009: We will be cutting a trench for new cables across the edge of the College Green over the next few days, which will meet up with the drainage works that Willmott Dixon are doing. The green will be re-turfed on completion. This route has been chosen to avoid damaging any of the roots of the trees around the perimeter. The path around the side of the green is being widened and re-surfaced (and re-routed slightly to avoid the roots of the plane tree) to provide disabled access to the New Academic Building.

Kingsway Corridor exhibition, Richard Hoggart Building
Thursday 10 July: A model of the proposed New Academic Building, along with information panels and samples of the materials to be used on the project went on display in the Kingsway Corridor, Richard Hoggart Building. The display was open for anyone to view, including local residents.

Farewell to BBG and Lockwood Annexe
Thursday 10 July: Temporary portakabins (Barriedale Building G and Lockwood Annexe) that stood on ground where the new building will be located were vacated and removed. Barriedale Building G was lifted away via crane, whilst the Lockwood Annexe was demolished and the site cleared. See photos of the removal.

Planning permission sought from local council
In July 2008, Goldsmiths applied for planning permission for the New Academic Building.

Media and Communications Building expo
Wednesday 25 June: Local residents, staff and students were invited to attend an informal drop-in event that showcased ideas for what the building could look like, as well as giving visitors the opportunity to talk to architects, project managers, and other people involved in the project.