Teesside University Digital Life
As part of the Wates team, Desco designed the mechanical and electrical services for Teesside University’s new Digital Life Building.
The new £40m four-storey teaching and learning facility provides a focal point for the School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, offering digital teaching and learning spaces, along with animation and digital fabrication spaces on the campus in Middlesbrough.
The building includes smart labs, digital art studios featuring AI robotics, VR, VFX and animation suites, a multi-functional lecture theatre and events space, which has capacity for 750 people and offers a range of set ups allowing for different uses.
Digital Life is a catalyst for physical and digital collaboration and study, simulating an industry-quality digital studio experience for students, business and visitors.
The building features a unique perforated veil with dynamic cuts, symbolising ‘glitches’ in digital data. This creates a textured pattern that interacts with the interior and facade lighting, blending nature with technology. The veil provides solar shading and acts as vibrant public art, including the facade lighting features, giving the building a unique appearance.
In the entrance is a glazed floating pod, which functions as a meeting room, a technical challenge for all the design team. The pod is suspended from the roof in the main entrance and can be accessed via a bridge on the second floor.
The building is not just visually stunning it is also designed to be sustainable, and has achieved a BREEAM Outstanding rating.
Project
Teesside University Digital Life Building
Location
Middlesbrough, Teesside
Value
£40M