In November of last year Guildford Council commissioned a design team headed by the Architects Austin-Smith:Lord and supported by Roger Preston & Partners as Services Consultants, to deliver a new state-of-the-art, multi-purpose performance venue, the Guildford Civic. Guildford desires a building that will stand as an example for the town and a landmark building for years to come.

This Civic building received planning approval and the full support of the Council on the 26th June 2007. The new Civic will replace the existing outdated Civic built in 1962.   In addition to the 1000 seat (1,500 standing) auditorium, the building will include a café, function and seminar suite, studio theatre and all other facilities associated with a theatre space of this size.

One of the primary requests made by the Council prior to the appointment of the design team was that the building must meet the local target for renewable energy usage, which for public building is 20% (double the requirement for private buildings). Following the appointment of Roger Preston & Partners through active participation in the building’s design development, a strong energy efficiency approach and effective use of renewable technologies the building we have now proposed will exceed the council standards on renewable energy and carbon savings.