Premier Hospitality

University of Northampton

University of Northampton
Written by Roma Publications

University of Northampton – Delivering design excellence on a plate

University of Northampton

Introducing a stunning brand new catering offer, the University of Northampton’s three main catering facilities have undergone an impressive transformation, following a project involving the complete strip out and re-design of the Park Restaurant, Park Kitchen and The Coffee shop at the Parkside campus.

All three venues have been designed to create an ‘outdoor park’ type environment, in keeping with the campus’s parkland surroundings.

Designers for the project were Design at Source, with Technical Procurement Ltd as main contractors.

The Coffee Shop was created within the campus’s canteen and is now a large high street style venue, whilst The Park Restaurant offers more formal dining, and the more informal Park Deli serves various snacks and sandwiches.

Stuart Trett, director of Design at Source said: “The 130 cover Coffee Shop includes a feature central servery counter surrounded by a Victorian style metal greenhouse structure.

“Other design features are the multi-tiered shelving room dividers filled with planting, and a large ‘recycling’ wall at one end of the space, which is themed around information about the university’s recycling programme.

“Artificial turf flooring is combined with Antico flooring in the style of paving slabs to give the impression of pathways.”

Seating is in a combination of lounge and coffee bar style furniture and lighting includes upside down flower pots suspended from the ceiling and serving as lamp shades.

The overall design palette is in a combination of greens, greys and browns.

The Park Kitchen is separated from The Coffee Shop by a Victorian greenhouse-style metalwork screen.

Stuart Trett said: “The design includes a large area of artificial turf flooring complete with contemporary park bench style seating, moveable seating and booth seating designed in the style of a garden pavilion.

“There is also a large custom made refrigerated self-service salad counter situated within a pagoda structure, as well as a series of 5 metre high artificial trees to complement the ‘outdoor’ look.”

The colour palette includes natural shades such as grey green, cream and brown, with blue as an accent colour.

University of Northampton

Within the Park Deli, flooring is in a combination of Antico timber effect and Antico Stone Effect to give the impression of garden paving.

Seating includes high bench tables with inbuilt power points for laptops, sunshine yellow coloured moveable seating and park bench style fixed seating surrounded by herb planters. A large self-service food display area has been created from distressed timber packing crates and is designed to give the appearance of a market site.

Stuart Trett said: “This was a great job to work on, the project team did well and the client seems delighted too.

“Hospitality interiors are very much the type of project that we specialise in and we enjoyed working on the scheme.”

Design at Source are also designing all the food and beverage elements at the university’s new £350m Waterside Campus due to open in December 2018. A project of epic proportions, the scheme includes five new large academic and sports buildings, as well as other facilities to accommodate some 15,000 students, plus residential facilities for 1,200 students.

The University of Northampton was established in 2005, having been awarded full university status and research degree awarding powers.

Teaching and learning at the University of Northampton is delivered by four Faculties. Each has a varied staff of industry experts and academics, providing courses, producing research outputs and creating partnerships with businesses and the local community.

All four Faculties ensure their students graduate with the skills, experience and attitudes that employers are looking for – which is why the university’s employability rate is 95%.

A pioneering approach, a passion for excellence and pride in handing over a refurbishment job well done have helped to put Technical Procurement at the top of their profession.

The company’s time-served tradesmen can deliver the highest quality workmanship to realise each client’s vision quickly and to a pre-agreed budget.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Roma Publications