When Liverpool John Moores University identified the Henry Cotton Building as a key part of their estate strategy, there were two obvious options: knock it down and start again, or rethink what was already there.
K2 were asked to do the latter. It became LJMU’s first major post-COVID fit-out and an opportunity to test how the building could support new ways of working, researching, and teaching. The aim was to improve the student and staff experience through encouraging more social interaction and supporting health and well-being.
Through a bold retrofit strategy, the modest footprint of the site and existing structure was reconfigured and enhanced to create a new dynamic home for the University, balancing flexible teaching, outward-facing public engagement, and inspiring social spaces.
Working within complex restraints
Transforming a generic, outdated 1980s university building into a modern teaching space was always going to come with challenges.
The balance between retaining as much of the existing fabric and infrastructure as possible to align with Net Zero Carbon targets, while making enough of an intervention to improve the quality of the space and give it a stronger identity. It needed to establish a real sense of identity for Liverpool John Moores as an exemplar project showing what can be achieved with an existing asset.
To provide a place which inspires engagement both externally and internally. The first step was at ground level. Activating the ground floor and reworking the front elevation became key moves, with the entrance completely rethought.
The main challenges within the design team were to make big, high-level moves to accommodate these upgrades, all while holding onto the structural grid and as much of the original fabric as possible.
Internal Design Development
One of the first things that stood out on site was the layout. It felt like a maze. A rabbit warren of corridors, with small, enclosed rooms for staff and students, and very little sense of where you were in the building.
Early designs tried to overcome these inherent issues and create more clearly defined routes and destinations. Some of the more awkward, inward facing rooms were removed, opening up breakout spaces that supported collaboration, inviting informal interaction and allowing natural light to penetrate deeper into the plan. It also helped establish a clearer sense of movement. Routes became more legible, and spaces started to feel like destinations rather than leftover areas.
Workshops with the client revealed the importance of new staff and student social areas being strategically placed at the front of the building. The layouts then proceeded to organise themselves around two central lecture theatres, which became anchors for circulation and activity to wrap around.
The social spaces were positioned directly behind the new façade, allowing internal activity to be read from the outside, giving the building a more open and engaged presence.
In addition, a new entrance leading into a double-height lobby became a key move early on. This intervention redefined the ground floor as a more active and engaging threshold to the building, while also giving it a clearer sense of identity and place for the University. It creates a stronger sense of arrival and helps make movement through the building more intuitive.
A strategic enabler for future university projects
The Henry Cotton Building will stand as a strong example of what modern retrofit can achieve—something universities across the country can learn from.
What became clear through the design process is that the question isn’t whether these buildings can be used again, but whether we’re willing to rethink them properly. Improving routes, bringing in more natural light, and adjusting how spaces connect can fundamentally change how an existing building is experienced and used.
