Loughborough University, Leicestershire

Loughborough boasts one of the top-performing universities in the country, with campuses in both Leicestershire and London. Adding to their already impressive student facilities, the Leicestershire campus were looking to update a social space for students to gather, eat and socialise. The site earmarked for this new space sat on a piece of land that was home to the soon-to-be demolished Sir Arnold Hall building. Once demolished, the area would be repurposed to house a modern outdoor space, with a partially covered section to ensure use year round.

Once the demolition had taken place, an extensive landscaping project was planned. This would add paving, elevation and biodiversity to the area, but it would also play host to the new covered portion of the space. Making the most of the new modern surroundings, the university opted for a Taurus Glulam canopy from Streetspace Structures.

Glulam is an increasingly popular alternative to steel engineered by bonding layers of softwood timber together with durable, moisture-resistant adhesives, ensuring a long-term lifespan. TAURUS Glulam structures consist of feature glulam posts and rafters along with unobtrusive steel eaves beams and roof purlins.

At 20m x 10m, the completed canopy sits on the elevated section of the new landscaping. Visually, the structurally engineered Glulam timber complements the natural elements of the space while the steel and glass components echo the overall contemporary feel of the surroundings. Finally, sets of City3 9700 fixed table and bench units were added in and around the canopy. The fixed, self-weighted table & bench combination is ideal for these high-use outdoor dining spaces, with a durable build that ensures long-term quality.

During the day, the tensile membrane roof not only protects from the elements, but also diffuses any direct sun to provide soft, natural lighting. For the evenings and darker months, LED lighting runs the length of the structure, maximising its use. 10mm toughened glazing at either end also provides areas of shelter from the wind when needed.

Now part of a new social hub for the university, the canopy sits close to the campus’ main catering building, offering students outdoor dining space. Adjacent areas of grass regularly host events such as open days and graduation ceremonies, which now have the added flexibility of a covered space should the British weather threaten to ruin anybody’s special day…