the ground floor , allowing pedestrians to access a courtyard which will be tenanted by coffee shops , restaurants , and other facilities that will create a highly activated ground floor plane . The 2U offices are accessed off this pedestrian courtyard , which captures the energy and vibrancy of the building ’ s tenant .
A pedestrian colonnade is carved into the brick mass of the building , providing shelter for pedestrians , while echoing the strong tradition of making colonnaded façades along Victoria Road .
The Victoria Road façade is expressed as three distinct masses in order to reduce the scale of the building without losing valuable GLA . The eastern and western ends of the building mass are designed according to their specific locations . The west , prominently visible from a distance along Duram Road , presents the building ’ s brick mass in its full scale , with glass ‘ cut outs ’ and terraces denoting special internal functions . The colonnade turns the corner up Dickens Road , setting up a future pedestrian connection to future phases of the development . It is therefore a corner condition , designed for visual impact from a distance while traveling in a car , while concurrently catering to pedestrians .
By contrast , the eastern end of the building is a pedestrian entrance , and is designed and scaled accordingly . The brick mass is reduced by two floors , and a suspended glass ‘ pop-out ’ box provides shelter while orientating pedestrian movement into the courtyard . The courtyard does not have building mass at its eastern end . Instead , it uses the neighbouring My Domain student residence as a backdrop to the courtyard , creating the impression of a larger urban forecourt , while appropriating the movement and activity of the student residence .
The building is designed to accommodate two additional floors , in a lighter aesthetic , as an expression of the setback requirements .
Façade Historically the site housed a brickyard . This inspired an architectural language of a heavy brick mass , with recessed glazing panels . Recessing the glazing creates depth in the façade , which provides a degree of shading for the glazed panels . The shadows that are cast move throughout the day , animating the façade while doing so . In order to provide a sense of
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