The pattern of parallel bearing walls is adapted to create a plan of maximum fluidity without unduly sacrificing the enclosure necessary for teaching and lecturing. The study areas are close to the action but sufficiently set apart for diligent reading or a quiet snooze.

The interplay of the north-south walls and the slicing through of the lanterns overhead is a delight, creating a variety in scale and daylighting that is a great credit to the designers. Here one does not have any sense of a maze of offices and corridors, so often the dominant impression of recent new university buildings.

At the November site visit, the easy interplay of the members of the Grafton studio, where each in turn explained aspects of the design, was very impressive. The quiet pride and focus of the Grafton team was evident in the explanation offered on the design development and included generous credit to the contractor, Townlink, for their contribution to the construction detailing.

If one had a slight quibble, it would be whether the exterior tile hanging and the privacy screens to the exterior, generally, were in fact necessary. One suspects a fear that a more ordinary approach was not judged to pack sufficient weight. The irony is that once completed, the 'contextual' aspects seem unnecessary to an otherwise so assured project.

M V Cullinan Architects B Arch M Arch RIBA FRIAI