Studio Lime was commissioned by the University of Bristol’s Capital Development Team to undertake a feasibility study to reimagine two floors within one of their faculty buildings. The existing layout presented several challenges, including poorly planned internal spaces, rooms without natural daylight, circulation bottlenecks, and study areas that no longer supported the students they were designed to serve.
The project aim was to create a dedicated home for Postgraduate Research (PGR) students, offering environments that support both independent study and group collaboration. On Level 1, the design aimed to create a student focussed flexible working and socialising space. The existing café that was tucked away and difficult to access, was relocated to the heart of the space to improve visibility and create a welcoming focal point. A variety of seating options, including more formal café seating, banquettes, booths and high-level stools around the stair drum, encourage students to take ownership of how they use the space. Quiet zones and bookable meeting rooms compliment the open layout, offering flexibility without the need for physical subdivision.
The interventions on Level 1 also included the refurbishment of existing administrative areas into open-plan offices, supporting the University’s shift toward agile working practices. Gender-neutral toilets were introduced to enhance inclusivity. Teaching spaces were redesigned in response to feedback from lecturers, who highlighted the challenges of teaching in windowless lecture theatres. Three new lecture theatres, two 60-person and one 30-person, were positioned along external walls to maximise natural light. A folding partition between the larger lecture theatres creates space for a whole cohort to gather at the same time. Each lecture theatre includes a wheelchair-accessible lectern and furniture arrangements that support contemporary teaching styles.
On Level 5, outdated cellular offices, some lacking natural daylight, were replaced with a single open plan agile workspace. This area features 26 desks, personal lockers, breakout booths, and a compact tea point. Dedicated rooms were provided for IT support, storage, and senior academic staff. Thoughtful ceiling and lighting design help to subtly zone the open-plan area into smaller working clusters of 4–6 people, with low-hung pendant lights creating focused breakout zones.
To foster a sense of belonging for PGR students, the interior design embraces a warm, natural palette across both levels. The material selection was carefully curated to encourage students and staff to linger, whether for quiet study, team collaboration, or informal socialising.