星空传媒

WHAT: Centre for Business Arts and Technology, part of City and Islington College. Revamped and expanded buildings include dance studios, electronic labs and IT suites.

WHEN: Work started in October 2003 and the centre opened its doors to students in September 2005.

HOW MUCH: 拢15m, funded by the sale of some of the college's older buildings and a grant of 拢4m from the Learning and Skills Council London Central. The project is part of City and Islington College's 拢60m rationalisation programme to modernise all of its facilities throughout north London.

SIZE: The scheme increases the existing gross internal area of the centre from 9,094m2 to 11,795m2.

CONTRACT: Develop and Construct

SUMMARY: The project integrated a new four-storey entrance extension and a dramatic glass frontage with existing 1960s concrete framed buildings, which were remodelled to create a more visible and innovative building.

DESIGN BRIEF: "To retain as much as possible of the original structure, while incorporating a new extension to create more open spaces."

SPECIAL FEATURES: An environmental glazing buffer facing the main road that keeps out noise, enabling windows to be opened. Non-structural walls were also removed and replaced with lighter partitions of glass and metal.

USERS: 21,000 students.

BACKGROUND: In December 2005, City and Islington College received Beacon status, awarded jointly by the Department for Education and Skills and the Learning and Skills Council - for excellence in post-16 education and training.

CLIENT'S VIEW: "We had a vision of what we wanted to offer the communities that we serve and we have achieved that vision. City and Islington College now has five superb, specialist centres, united in a common purpose of offering excellent education and training" - Frank McLoughlin, college principal.

PROJECT TEAM: QS: Davis Langdon, employer's agent: Boyden & Co, architect: Wilkinson Eyre, main contractor: William Verry, structural and services engineer: Arup, landscape architect: PRP Landscape.