Engineering Heartspace wins prestigious architecture award

16th August 2021

The University of Sheffield’s Engineering Heartspace building has won two regional awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The awards celebrate the very best in architecture across Yorkshire, with the Heartspace building now being eligible for the prestigious RIBA national awards in September.

The Engineering Heartspace won both the 2021 RIBA Yorkshire award and the Yorkshire Client of the Year award.

Opened to staff and students in late January 2020, and created by Bond Bryan Architecture, the state-of-the-art Engineering Heartspace houses teaching and social spaces.

Alongside the new laboratories, office space and café, the Engineering Heartspace has its own Employability Hub which is committed to helping students and businesses collaborate, as well as bringing real world experience to the forefront of student experience in the University’s Faculty of Engineering.

Keith Lilley, Director of Estates and Facilities Management at the University of Sheffield, said: “The state-of-the-art Engineering Heartspace is a truly inspiring learning space. Its impressive curved glass roof which links the Grade II listed Sir Frederick Mappin Building and the 1885 Central Wing is an innovative design which has played a part in transforming the way our students and staff study and work together.

"It is fantastic news that the project has been recognised as some of the very best architecture in Yorkshire by such a prestigious awarding body.”

The University of Sheffield’s Estates Department was described by RIBA as “worthy winners” of the 2021 Client of the Year Award.

The Royal Institute of British Architects said: “They (the University of Sheffield’s Estates Department) are very proud of this building and it’s clear that when developing the brief, there was no real precedent.

“The purpose was to make use of a redundant space between two existing buildings to inspire collaboration between the staff and students in each faculty. This has been delivered with a stunning new building which staff, students and visitors clearly enjoy and is commendable for cleverly bringing the two existing buildings back into use.”