The project required the creation of a new 125-seat lecture theatre and an adjacent seminar room, with specific requirements for AV integration, teaching layout, and collaborative learning features. Design priorities included improved acoustic performance, inclusive group seating arrangements, daylight control, and storage for student use. Flexibility and quality were essential, with delivery scheduled to support the new academic year.

The existing space presented significant constraints, including a restricted floor-to-soffit height of just and a large central column obstructing sightlines. This limited the theatre to a shallow rake with a maximum of three tiers. The design team responded by configuring the space into five seating zones, ensuring most students were positioned in front of the column and had clear views of lecturers and dual projection screens. This layout also supports collaborative group work, key to the ICBS pedagogical approach.

To further enhance the learning environment, acoustic ceiling baffles and wall panels were specified to reduce reverberation. Natural daylight was retained, with the installation of automatic blackout blinds to ensure visual clarity during AV-based teaching. Storage for student belongings and designated whiteboard zones on either side of the space further supported the functional and user-focused design.

A phased approach allowed noisy demolition to be completed during holiday periods, mitigating disruption to adjacent library and breakout spaces. The tight construction schedule was successfully managed to ensure timely handover in advance of the new academic year.