The Spark Building at Southampton Solent University, designed by international design practice Scott Brownrigg has been shortlisted in the ‘Quality Places’ category at the Solent Design Awards.

The awards recognise the Solent’s most show-stopping construction projects and celebrate quality place-making; highlighting schemes that create special places, lift communities and produce richer experiences for all those who encounter them.

The stunning new £33m Spark Building is conceived as an academic hub and showcase for excellence in learning, teaching, research, innovation and student achievement.

The ‘game-changing’ design of this 10,000 sq m, BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rated building promotes interdisciplinary activity and collaboration; enabling staff and students to see and share their learning and teaching experiences, knowledge and research.

The building provides a ‘mixed economy’ of teaching and learning spaces to enhance the centrally timetabled general teaching accommodation on the University’s city centre campus. Facilities also include a café and conference centre enabling increased university engagement with businesses and communities at local, regional and national level. Utilising the existing topography of the site, two large destination lecture theatres (including a Harvard style lecture theatre) are located below the main atrium level. Accommodation is arranged over five storeys around an impressive, full-height atrium space with a stunning ‘Solent Red’ pod at its centre and a high definition digital media wall at the far eastern end. Overall, the design of ‘The Spark’ simultaneously conveys a sense of permanence, dynamism, openness and transparency.

The Spark Building is also shortlisted for the ‘People’s Choice Award’ which will reward the project that wins the most online votes between now and 31 October.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Spark on 24 November.