The Gateway building was set out in the brief to be a new open entrance for the University of Cumbria providing a variety of facilities including office spaces for the Universities administrative support staff as well as student facing facilities. Included in these facilities was a reception space where students could access a variety of relevant services that they may need during their time studying with the University. In addition to this the inclusion of catering facilities was made with a central catering kitchen serving a restaurant on the top floor.

The buildings restaurant positioning featured views of the Lancaster and Morecambe Bay as well as the other University facilities in the city. Benefitting from the scenic views the restaurant offered, Wilson Mason proposed the use of the facility for venue hires including weddings, which has turned into a very profitable expansion to the Universities initial plans.   

While this project was a new-build, the key consideration when designing this building was not tarnishing the sites historical significance, and ensuring any impact to the wider site was minimal.

Due to this facility acting as a ‘gateway’ for the University which has a main campus located in the Lake District a Lakeland stone plinth was installed on the ground floor to pay homage to the universities primary site, bringing a piece of the lake district to their Lancaster facility.

The Gateway building achieved BREEAM ‘Very Good’ which can be attributed to the use of local materials, natural ventilation and creative solutions to a variety of sensitive considerations acknowledging the sites location being on the Edge of Lancaster’s conservation area, with the buildings design providing a non-intrusive inclusion into the local scenery.