The Eden Building is a facility housing the University’s Education Department and the Hope Business Enterprise Gateway, which provides opportunities for students to develop their own business enterprises.  The centre features a large three-storey atrium which bridges between new and existing buildings, a multi-level exhibition pavilion, a 250-seat conference and lecture theatre, lecture rooms, open-plan offices and a café.

We were appointed in early 2009 with particular regard to achieving a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating.  Our role included assessment of plant noise to the environment and acoustic design of teaching spaces.  The lecture rooms posed a particular challenge as they were to be naturally ventilated, with air taken in from the relatively noisy façade facing Taggart Avenue, and discharged into the atrium.  We designed bespoke attenuated natural ventilators to minimise traffic noise ingress and to control noise “cross-talk” between the lecture rooms and atrium.

The atrium is a busy working space housing help desks, temporary exhibitions and displays, catering and informal meeting areas.  Extensive computer modelling allowed us to design an efficient combination of absorption concealed behind the slatted timber ceiling.  Perforated plasterboard was used on other ceilings and to clad the façades of the existing buildings which form part of the atrium.  This provides a good distribution of absorbent surfaces while maintaining the clean modern look desired by the architects and client.

At the opening ceremony in October 2010 the Centre was described by the Dean as “A wonderful building which will facilitate new ways of thinking about education.”

Client : Liverpool Hope University
Architect : Halsall Lloyd Partnership
Contract value : £8.5m