Bardsley goes by the book to win £1.3m university library project

The scheme involves refurbishment of two floors of the 1970s library which is located in the heart of the university’s city campus. It is part-funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) as part it’s Transformational Revolving Green Fund to improve the energy efficiency of the building.

The works are due to be completed in October.

The construction works will consist of demolition to open up the library floor space whilst creating new light wells and introducing windows to the external elevations to provide natural ventilation and light to the facility.

The idea is that the library will be transformed into a low-energy facility with well-insulated walls whilst reducing the reliance on mechanical interventions in keeping with the university’s Ecoversity programme of sustainable development and its carbon reduction plan to reduce its emissions by 50 per cent by 2020.

Adrian Rooney, Leeds-based Yorkshire regional manager for Bardsley Construction, a £45m turnover company, said: “This is our latest project for the University of Bradford and we look forward to working with a committed design team and the university’s Estates team to achieve the university’s aspirations of a modern library facility.”

Russell Smith, the university’s estate manager, said: “This is a crucial project that will improve the estate further and enhance the student experience whilst reducing our carbon footprint and producing a building that can face the future with confidence.”

The university was shortlisted for the Innovation award in the Yorkshire Post’s Environment Awards this year.