Hartpury University and Hartpury College’s Graze restaurant and student hub won the Value Award at the 2023 Constructing Excellence South West awards on Thursday 20 July 2023.
Judges in the Value Award category were looking for an initiative, project, or series of projects that have focused on the value of facilities in use and the outcomes for owners and users.
Decided by a panel of industry experts, as well as Constructing Excellence South West board members and sponsors, the panel's rationale read: 'Hartpury Graze symbolises the strategic objectives of Constructing Excellence. The model is centred around delivering value by prioritising their people, adopting a forward-thinking approach and possessing a profound understanding of how driving value through carbon reduction can unlock numerous benefits in other areas.
'Ultimately, their efforts result in providing the end users of this facility with a building they can genuinely take pride in.'
An all-Gloucester project team including Hartpury’s Lynn Forrester-Walker and Graeme Brooks joined Barnwood Construction’s Stuart Pearce (Joint Managing Director), Will Steel (Commercial Manager), Guy Howes (Estimator), Emily Hewer (Quantity Surveyor), and Ben Johnson (Site Manager), as well as Roberts Limbrick Architects’ David Billingham (Director) and Keir Lindsay (Architectural Technician), and Hydrock’s Gavin Mak (Chartered Engineer), to collect the prestigious trophy under the wings of Concorde at Bristol Aerospace.
Since its highly anticipated completion in September 2022, Graze has transformed the catering and hospitality offering for Hartpury students and staff alike. The two-storey dining and teaching facility is a stylish building housing a comfortable seating area that has proven to be an ideal place to meet and catch up with friends, colleagues, and lecturers.
On the first floor, flexible classrooms with partition walls have created a dynamic learning and conference experience perfect for socialising, teaching, and industry events.
Sustainability remained at the heart of the overall design that comprises an elegant, curved glass frontage. Stunning views across the sports fields and rural campus provides an inspirational learning setting. The building incorporates PV (photovoltaics) electric panels, high levels of insulation as well as natural ventilation and light.
Lesley Worsfold, Deputy Principal - Resources, said: “Since opening its doors last autumn, Graze has made a real impact on campus life and has provided a vibrant hub for students and staff to eat, socialise, network, and learn. The clever design of the space has helped us to utilise the building for a diverse range of uses including special events and the sustainable credentials reflect our commitment in this area.”
More campus developments will follow later this year as the University Learning Hub - the first construction intended solely for use by higher education students, reaches completion. This space will be at the centre of an immersive higher education experience at Hartpury (rated 6th in the UK for Teaching in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide).
