Client: University of Southampton Science Park
Location: Chilworth, Hampshire
Value: £4,500,000 (Units 3 and 4)

Benham Campus

Benham Campus is a 5.25 hectare (13 acre) extension to the original 20 hectare (50 acre) University of Southampton Science Park and TKL Architects were appointed to convert an extant low-density outline planning permission into a full planning approval. Thus, in 2005 they obtained permission totalling 9,500 square metres of built space supported by over 300 car parking spaces set within a landscaped parkland environment.

The site is subject to a number of design constraints. It is close to the M27 motorway and visual and acoustic screening were a local authority requirement necessitating the construction of a landscaped earth bund parallel to the motorway. Similarly, access to the site is restricted to one corner and the council imposed strict height limitations on the buildings. However, within these parameters, TKL Architects were able to produce an interesting design comprising a symmetrical layout of five buildings using a standard palette of materials and colours across the site.

By utilising the slope of the site we were able to include two three-storey buildings within the design – the other three being two storey configuration – and the floor areas range from 900 square metres to 2,800 square metres. Each building comprises a central service and access core connected to either two or three open plan accommodation wings.

In late 2007 installation of the initial sections of the site’s infrastructure commenced and once this had been completed Units 3 and 4 were constructed, with handover being achieved in mid 2009.