An inspirational new building at the heart of the Cardiff University campus developed in partnership with its Students’ Union. The new Centre for Student Life (CSL) building delivers a world-leading holistic student experience providing for every facet of student life.
The Centre for Student Life is part of a major investment by the University in the student experience. It provides a heart to the Cathays Campus and a new home for student support services offering additional social study spaces, consultation rooms, a 550-seat auditorium and quiet contemplation spaces.
The brief for the new Centre was for a high-quality, contemporary, landmark building delivering a once-in-alifetime opportunity to unite several distinct parts of the campus and significantly enhance the University’s impact in Cardiff city centre. CSL is now a welcome-point for students and the public. It provides facilities that support student life; works with the Student’s Union building to provide open and permeable facilities that are fully integrated into city life; acts as the heartbeat of student life on the main campus; is flexible and enables the University to deliver services of the highest quality. It is also now home to the University’s largest lecture theatre and helps to instill a sense of pride in students, staff and the University as a whole.
Co-locating the Centre with the Students’ Union supports students to access services more easily including:
- Futures: careers, employability, and global opportunities
- Wellbeing: mental health and counselling
- Student life: money, international student support, disability support, student administration
- Advice bar: students can raise their query either physically within the centre or online 24/7
The Centre for Student Life has also been designed with sustainability in mind. It is focussed on reducing energy consumption, supplying energy efficiently, and where possible, using renewable technology, photovoltaic cells, natural ventilation, its green roof and energy efficient lighting to keep the building’s carbon footprint to a minimum.
Client
Cardiff University
Services
- Project management
