Portland Building, University of Portsmouth

About the project

This project was commissioned as part of the Southern Universities Affinity Group framework.

The University required a complete refurbishment of this iconic 1990s building, designed by Sir Colin Stansfield-Smith and his team at Hampshire County Council and former home of the School of Architecture.

Studio Four acted as Lead Consultants and prepared initial feasibility proposals for the University, including the idea of creating more internal floor area by removing redundant internal stairs and voids, and creating new full-height glazed enclosures to the existing entrance porticos that suffered from pigeon and seagull nesting and increased heat loss from the building.

The building required re-modelling to accommodate Business School, School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, and Information Services. The café also required expansion, and an external under-utilised courtyard was brought into use with new canopies and resurfacing.

Works included new raised floor structure throughout, new suspended ceilings, new plant and services throughout for energy-saving purposes, new WCs, new IT systems, new furniture, new teaching aids, new access systems and complete external re-decoration. New flat roof finishes, structural repairs and new insulation were also carried out.