The University of St Andrews is recruiting an architect and lead designer for the University’s Net-Zero New Madras College complex. The redevelopment will refurbish the old Madras College building into a new sustainable complex hosting three Academic Schools – Economics and Finance, International Relations and Management.
The University bought the site from Fife council in October 2021, and demolition and work to secure the buildings is now in progress. The New College building will be the largest single building complex in the University’s Faculty of Arts, housing 200 academic and support staff, and more than 2,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
It is hoped that the New College will “be a centre of excellence for research and teaching in the social sciences.” The University wishes to restore and maintain the 19th Century neo-Jacobean façade and neo-medieval quadrangle behind. The older buildings are set to be repaired, however the post war out-buildings incorporated into the college will be demolished and replaced, with a design that blends into the historic town centre.
The design brief states, “It is our vision that – together with the older outbuildings – this development will deliver an outstanding result for the University and the town.”
The University has stated that the building process, including the design brief, procurement, and construction strategy must reflect its sustainability target to be Net Zero by 2035. The brief states, “The project must achieve a minimum of BREEAM Excellent, EPC A rating, and Carbon Neutral for operations.”
The University has stated in the design brief outlining the role, “The Architect and Lead Designer will ultimately be responsible for developing the Final Project Brief in conjunction with the University and subsequently developing/co-ordinating the design package, that addresses the University’s requirements whilst recognising cost and time parameters.
The statement continues: “it must provide outstanding and future-proofed spaces for formal and informal teaching, for learning and studying both in groups and individually, for conviviality (café and meeting spaces) and conferences. The student experience is at the heart of our operation.
“We strive to provide a wide range of learning environments to suit different needs and preferences not just for students in the three Schools to be co-located at the New College site but from across the whole University.”
The application deadline is 3 February, and the contract duration is 24 months.
