Hi Tech & Digital Centre | Devon, UK

Collaborative Design and Multifunctional Spaces

The building’s design centres on collaboration, featuring multi-height spaces connected by contemporary staircases and illuminated by large rooflights. Translucent polycarbonate panels on the south facade and large windows on the north facade create a light-filled, spacious environment. Facilities include manufacturing and electrical testing labs on the ground floor, as well as state-of-the-art photography and sound studios. A 100-seat screening suite, housed within an asymmetrical drum, serves as a powerful architectural and functional feature. The illuminated drum is visible both inside and out, enhancing the building’s visual impact.

The centre also hosts sixteen start-up units within the South Devon College Business Hub. These spaces encourage collaboration among staff, students, and businesses, facilitating knowledge exchange and providing pathways from education to the marketplace.

Innovative Lighting Design Enhances Architectural Features

A standout feature of the Hi Tech & Digital Centre is its dynamic exterior lighting scheme, developed in collaboration with LHC Architects. The building showcases a curved, perforated, bronze-finished aluminium brise soleil facade, elevated above a glazed ground floor entrance and spanning from the first to third floors. This design not only enhances the building’s aesthetic appeal but also serves functional purposes.

The lighting scheme aims to highlight the architectural design and extend usability beyond daylight hours. It encourages movement throughout the campus and creates a distinctive illuminated environment that reflects the building’s technological focus. Extensive testing and prototyping determined optimal luminaire placement, resulting in concealed RGB LED lights behind the perforated brise soleil. These lights illuminate the facade, showcasing its unique design.

Programmable lighting sequences control individually addressable LEDs, transforming the facade into a dynamic display. These animations highlight the perforated facade and structural fins with various colours and themes, adding vibrancy to the campus atmosphere.

Energy Efficiency and Educational Integration

The lighting installation is designed for energy efficiency, powered by 130 photovoltaic panels on the roof that generate 120% of the centre’s energy needs. This contributes to the building’s BREEAM Excellent and EPC A ratings. LED and lensing technology ensure high performance with low energy consumption. The lights operate between dusk and 10 pm, minimising energy waste and light pollution.

Beyond aesthetics, the lighting control system serves as an educational tool. It offers students hands-on experience with advanced lighting control systems, integrating practical learning into the curriculum. This approach aligns with the centre’s commitment to fostering skills in photonics and optical electronics, sectors experiencing growth in the region.