Wienerberger turns disused storage into stylish space for students

A disused storage space at the University of Roehampton, southwest London, has been transformed with the help of Wienerberger as part of a Masterplan by Architectural Practice Henley Halebrown Rorrison.

The aim of the project was to turn the space, known as The Yard, into an open space for students to use that connects the historic and contemporary sections of the University, whilst complying with the restrictive requirements of monument conservation.

Slim Pave clay pavers from Wienerberger were specified to offer the versatility needed for the task. Structural openings were made to open up views from the chapel and a café to The Yard, whilst the University’s historic boundary wall had to be reduced in height in order to make it structurally sound. Additional openings with flat arches were also introduced, linking the historic Froebel garden to the courts, whilst copings were made of cast and etched reconstituted stone and benches were built into niches, encouraging university students to take advantage of the newly created space.

The Herne Dark Brindled paver from Wienerberger’s Slim Pave range was the ideal choice for the project due to its non-standardised dimensions, varied range of surface finishes, and sleek design and colour. The red paver was also specified, laid in a variety of bonds, including one-third stretcher and herringbone pattern.

The project features various depths of jointing throughout, enabling the bench backrests to appear sleek whilst allowing for vegetation to grow through the paving joints. Through the use of 12mm bedding joints, five courses of new brickwork using the paver correspond exactly with four courses of standard bricks of the existing walls, giving rise to a playful dialogue of scale.

Since The Yard’s transformation, it has been awarded Bes Outdoor Space category by the Brick Development Association (BDA), giving students an open space to study and socialise.

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