Original features

Standing at the entrance to the Queensgate Campus, the University of Huddersfield's new creative arts building opened last year and has already established itself as a landmark on the ring road around the town.

Costing around £15 million, and part-funded by the European Union, it houses teaching and research facilities for a diverse range of fields, including music and music technology, fashion, creative imaging, multimedia and business design awareness.

Partly constructed from local sandstone, the building was designed to minimise environmental impact and uses sustainable materials, such as cedar boarding. Its toilets flush with rainwater collected in a tank on the roof, and wind turbines, solar and photovoltaic panels tap into renewable energy sources.

The building's facilities include classrooms fitted with the latest educational audiovisual hardware and software, a concert hall with a neo-baroque organ, piano and percussion practice rooms and recording studios.

A cube-shaped acoustic lab, the first of its kind in England, was created with support from the Science Research Investment Fund, giving musicians the chance to experiment with surround sound.

Send suggestions for this architectural series to: matthew.reisz@tsleducation.com