The University of Sheffield collaborate with Wayfinder Ltd for Velocity 2

The start of the University year has seen the opening of Velocity 2, a new build part of The University of Sheffield’s commitment to growing and developing their teaching facilities. Velocity 2 is part of the Velocity Village and provides a modern, urban environment for the Sheffield community and Sheffield as a whole.

Sheffield University have bought Velocity 2 as part of a long term plan to compete with the best universities in the country.  The new facilities based on Solly Street provides the University with new space for teaching, lectures, science, social learning and administration. Delivering a fresh and modern environment for future generations of students.

The multimillion pound refurbishment also includes accommodation for around 900 students. Watson Batty Architects were chosen to act as lead Architect on the site. Internal conversions were also designed to allow for flexible teaching spaces. There will also be new teaching accommodation for University of Sheffield International College.

Wayfinder Ltd were commissioned to provide a wayfinding strategy for the new environment. It was important for the team to understand Velocity 2 as part of a larger complex – Velocity Village. Both the exterior and interior wayfinding was incorporated into an integrated strategy.

The signage specification was chosen to be flexible in order to suit the needs of the building into the future. This means any further modifications to the build could easily be matched by the signage at little extra cost. The Wayfinder Ltd team also expressed the importance of sticking to brand guidelines, focusing on maintaining consistent brand imagery throughout the building.

University wayfinding is a crucial part in creating solid first impressions, to create a more focused academic environment. The consultants have had many years of experience in understanding spatial awareness in man-made environments and harnessing strategies to aid user experience.