With students placed at the centre of the concept, the design strategy focused on creating purposeful zones for different types of engagement, from quiet study and group collaboration to entertainment and relaxation. The study lounge was carefully divided to support solo concentration, small team work, and larger group activity. Meanwhile, the social lounge adopted a more playful brief, with games, soft seating and informal areas encouraging downtime and connection.

Each space was delineated through floor patterns, integrated lighting and a series of open yet structured timber screens that subtly enclose without isolating. Generous glazed openings between spaces create both acoustic privacy and visual transparency, ensuring people can see and be seen, reinforcing a sense of community and belonging.

The visual identity of the interiors took cues from the building’s context. Colours, textures and forms responded to the external landscape design and a bespoke sculpture by local artist Lilah Fowler, while inspiration from Bristol-born physicist and Nobel laureate Paul Dirac – pioneer of quantum mechanics – was used to influence conceptual graphic elements and wayfinding. These references layered the space with meaning, tying it firmly to place while projecting an atmosphere of creativity, intelligence and energy.

New Bridewell now stands as a vibrant and successful example of next-generation student living: a fully activated, multifunctional ground floor that invites students to live, study and connect in a setting full of life and purpose.