University of Law, Hertfordshire (UK)

Hertfordshire University, Law & Court building (UK)

• Location: Hertfordshire (England)
• Architect: RMJM
• Type of construction: new
• Installation system : Bardage Avec Ossature (BAO)
• Product : SHINING SILK

Leading cladding systems manufacturer Carea has been chosen to create a resolutely contemporary facade for the University of Hertfordshire’s Law School. With cladding panels that are as resistant as they are aesthetically pleasing ( GLOSSY), Carea offers a solution that is both pleasing to the eye and provides excellent thermal insulation, making the Law School the university’s most environmentally-friendly building.

Designed by RMJM Architects and built by ISG PLC on the former British Aerospace site in Hatfield, the new £7 million building will be part of the De Havilland Campus, a £120 million university complex also designed by RMJM in 2003. In keeping with its resolutely contemporary approach, architects RMJM specified curved Carea panels. Combined with other renderings and textures, these will create a unique exterior appearance, complementing the more traditional buildings on the campus.

While the project aims to be the best in terms of design, and promises to become a focal point of the campus for a long time to come thanks to Carea’s exceptional façade, it is also aiming for an “excellent” BREEAM rating. To achieve this, it must also be low-maintenance and long-lasting. Carea cladding provides excellent insulation, helping to achieve the level of thermal efficiency required by this rating. What’s more, the cladding panels, made from cutting-edge composites developed over thirty years by Carea’s specialists, are 95% mineral-based, making them an extremely environmentally-friendly material that can be recycled at the end of its useful life.

Hertfordshire Law School, the first law school to be ranked among the new universities in London and the South East of England, will join the School of Business and the Faculties of Arts and Education, already located on the De Havilland campus. Students at the existing law school in Hatfield town center will soon be able to move into their new premises, which will include a fully-equipped courtroom with public gallery, mediation center, community legal service and café.