Southampton Solent University Information Centre

The red, white and black colour scheme is used to represent the university itself as those are the main colours of the university, furthermore the bold colour scheme contrasts with the buildings around the hub and the castle behind it which makes it stand out better and attracts the eyes of passers by more effectively.

The letters and the university logo are used on the roof of the building to once again catch people’s attention; people can spot it from far away and will attract their curiosity as they get closer. The letters are made of wire mesh and are coated in resin to be coloured and to the full solid appearance. They are also bolted into the roof to ensure they are secured firmly.

The roof itself which is made of timber wood, coated with a solvent paint which water cannot infiltrate. It is also coated to keep to the overall colour scheme.

As people approach the building from the front (facing away from the castle) they will notice that the display work in their view is based on the university in general,

however from the opposite direction (seen by walking through the castle) the display is entirely based on the architectural technology course run by the university, showing what it includes and what is learned etc.

This design helps separate the two pieces of information effectively and allows people to see clearly what the information is about.

The hub also has four boxes with information leaflets; two on the university and two on the course which people can pick up as they walk passed which is useful if people are in a rush yet still would like to know about the university or the course.

There are also flat screen HD televisions which are mounted into the walls which would show a short informative video further extending information to the audience which also would be easier for people to quickly take in the information. For security purposes, there are shutters which come out the walls to protect the televisions at night time.

The Display Walls are made with steel framework and are surrounded with plasterboard. This is to help the ease of construction/set up so the building can take less time being prepared. Also the framework makes it more accessible for electric cables to run through for the televisions.Finally, the walls themselves are aesthetically pleasing due to their modern/bold design as they help the building stand out by the contrast of the old castle in the background.

The Steel Supports are used to Transfer the load of the roof evenly. They also keep incorporated with the simple design of the building and blend nicely between the plasterboards and into the steel framework, maintaining the appearance of the hub.