Practice designs new β€˜central heart’ to university campus

Landscape architects at Barton Willmore have won a design competition for the re-working of the University of Reading’s central campus.

The practice won the contest, which called for the design of new public realm, a campus route strategy and quad landscape design. 

Barton Willmore said the scheme would create a new β€œcentral heart” for the campus.

Following a study on cyclist/pedestrian conflict, some respondents said overcrowding on paths at peak time was putting them off walking and cycling.

The plans were presented to university staff and students on 2 May.

John Haxworth, landscape design partner at Barton Willmore said: β€œHaving previously worked on a project at the URS building for the university, we could see there was huge potential for improvements to be made to the core of the university’s public realm. 

β€œThe project will over time deliver a redesigned network of pedestrian, cycle and vehicular routes, designed using the principle of shared space to reduce the dominance of motor vehicles.”