Client and User: University of Reading -  Faculties of Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences

Value:Total contract value £2.3m.

Date(s):Commenced in 2005 and was completed in 2006

• One of the key aims at the University of Reading is to attract high quality research students and provide them with facilities in which they are able to excel, as set out in the University’s Research Strategy and Corporate Plan.
• To enable this, Provelio were asked to Project Manage the sympathetic refurbishment of the iconic Grade II Listed Old Whiteknights House to provide comfortable 24-hour post-graduate facilities for the Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences.
• All existing listed floors where stripped out and replaced, and existing timbers were reinforced. The new spaces provided were finished to a very high specification and provide ideal research, social and recreational facilities for not only the faculties involved but for visiting external lecturers.
• In addition Old Whiteknights House also provides offices for RCS (Residential and Commercial Services). Housing both of these schools in the same building optimises the use of shared facilities and generic research training, and increases opportunities for collaborative developments.