This section shows our proposals to refurbish Berrows House, a 1965 Brutalist building which was purpose-built to house the Worcester News. The building was recently acquired by the University of Worcester to provide a varying array of flexible and adaptable teaching spaces.

A significant design driver is to open up the existing building through a new atrium space. This in turn houses a new internal street or ‘agora’ which works around the narrative of movement, arrival and connection. Establishing a new atrium not only provides a clear zone for movement and circulation, but also breaks up the deep floor plan and provide natural ventilation and daylight into the building. Accessibility and inclusivity were also key elements of the brief, so internal and external connections are intertwined. The integration of internal planting and usable external spaces also further emphasise this narrative.