Willmott Dixon Aims For Summer Start on University of Exeter’s New Multi-Faith Centre

Willmott Dixon is set to expand its burgeoning track-record for building property to the Passivhaus standard after it helped the University of Exeter achieve planning permission for its new Multi-Faith Centre at Streatham Campus.

With Exeter City Council giving the planning green light to the centre, Willmott Dixon will now work with the university to complete detailed designs for the building ready for construction to start in summer this year.

The Multi-Faith Centre will replace the existing Muslim prayer rooms and multi-faith spaces in the Old Library with a 50 person Muslim prayer space and a multi-faith space. It will also house communal meeting space, a kitchen, a dedicated office for the Multifaith Chaplaincy Team, a Changing Places facility and an external terrace area.

Shraddha Chaudhary, Assistant Director for Culture and Inclusion at the University of Exeter said: “We are really excited to progress our plans for the new Multi-Faith Centre. The University is committed to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion and developing cultural competence working with partners across Exeter and Cornwall, and the wider region.”

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Sustainability and reducing carbon emissions are fundamental to the design of the new Multi-Faith Centre, which aims to achieve the Passivhaus standard. Features include the use of highly efficient porotherm blocks, air source heat pumps and PV panels on the building’s roof.

Willmott Dixon has been working with a professional team, that includes Faithful and Gould, Group Emmett Design, SE3Design, Sands, SDS and ARUP. 

Rob Woolcock, Director at Willmott Dixon commented: “Having worked with the University of Exeter on a number of projects, we are looking forward to delivering this new and inclusive Multi-Faith Centre and supporting the University’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, culture and heritage of its students and the wider community.  This project aligns with our commitment to push the boundaries of sustainable design construction and operation of building.” Willmott Dixon is a founder member of the UK’s Passivhaus Trust, an independent, non-profit organisation that provides leadership for the adoption of the Passivhaus standard and methodology in the UK. It is also behind a series of high-profile Passivhaus projects, from the largest non-domestic project, the centre for Medicine at the University of Leicester, to the largest secondary school, the Harris Academy in Sutton.  More recently it delivered a Passivhaus trial in Caerphilly involving 18 new homes.