Bedford College Tower Block

Internal re-design and over-cladding to 7 storey college building.

Bedford

The Tower Block at Bedford College stands as one of the town's most iconic structures, serving as the central hub for the Cauldwell Street campus in the town centre. The project focused on redesigning and reconfiguring the ground and first floors, along with an extensive overhaul of the façade through over-cladding.

 

On the ground and first floors, the old district heating plant room was reintroduced and seamlessly integrated into the building's floor plan. This strategic move allowed for a comprehensive re-planning of the entire ground floor, introducing a new circulation 'street' that traverses the centre of the building. This newly created 'street' not only provided access to the main campus but also marked the first-time direct access from the Tower to St Mary's Gardens on the northern boundary of the site.

The overcladding initiative not only transformed the building's appearance but also presented a net-zero ready solution for the College. The utilisation of an architectural 'grid and panel' system not only offered aesthetic relief to the expansive structure but also facilitated the seamless integration of cutting-edge heating and ventilation systems into the façade.  Remarkably, the entire project was executed while the College continued to occupy the building.