Centre for Engineering Education Blog

Tag: practical learning

  • Innovation in Engineering Education – The Diamond – Twelve Architects

    Exterior of the diamond building

    The conception of the Diamond Building was a huge project here at Sheffield Engineering that aimed to make a world leading space for Engineering teaching. It is the home of  high quality teaching labs for all the engineering disciplines, as well as innovative teaching and study space. It is a wonderful space to be in and remains as popular as ever with students. The building led to the creation of a specialist multidisciplinary team to deliver and coordinate the teaching that takes place in it, and they continue to lead innovation in teaching and learning and are core contributors to the Centre for Engineering Education. This wouldn’t have been possible without the team who built the Diamond, Twelve Architects. They made the space both iconic and great for teaching, something that is often overlooked, but that has a huge impact on learning and learners. In this post Twelve Architects share their perspective of the project.

    study space in the diamond building

    September 2025 marked ten years since the opening of The Diamond at the University of Sheffield, a landmark project that continues to inspire over a decade on. As our first completed UK building, The Diamond was a defining moment for Twelve Architects, setting the tone for our approach to design, collaboration and innovation.

    Reflecting on this milestone, we asked members of the original design team, Matt Cartwright and Lorraine Stoutt Griffith, to share their experiences of working on the building that helped to shape our future as a practice.

    Designed to transform the way engineering was taught at the University, The Diamond brings together multiple disciplines under one roof, creating a flexible, future-focused environment that encourages interaction, learning and discovery. Ten years later, the building remains one of the UK’s most advanced teaching and research facilities, and one we’re immensely proud to have worked on.

    “The atrium remains one of the building’s most uplifting surprises,” recalls Lorraine. “It’s open, light and full of character, with a variety of places to spend time or work. We painted the steel structure orange to reveal how the building works. It’s a detail that makes it particularly special for the structural engineers who use it.”

    Behind the building’s confidence lies the complexity of its delivery. From the organically shaped windows to the curved pod walls, every detail required careful coordination. “It wasn’t without its challenges,” says Lorraine, “but the ambition and commitment across the team made it possible. Seeing it now, still thriving and crowded with students, makes it all worthwhile. It set a great standard for the student experience.”

    For Matt, the project carries a deep personal significance. “The vision was to create a landmark building that would attract students and staff, and support the University in becoming one of the leading engineering faculties in the UK and internationally,” he reflects. “The project was founded on trust, hard work and a collective desire to succeed. When challenges arose, we found solutions together, a rarity that shaped my belief in the power of collaboration.”

    Years later, The Diamond remains one of the UK’s most advanced and well-used engineering facilities, a space that is both functional and inspiring. Matt adds. “My parents met as students at the University of Sheffield. To have designed a building that continues to inspire future generations is priceless.”

    spiral staircase in the diamond building

    Looking back, both Lorraine and Matt agree that The Diamond exemplifies the values that continue to guide Twelve’s work today: trust, ambition, quality and collective strength.

    “Be ambitious,” says Lorraine. “Bring the team with you, client, users, engineers, contractors, and maintain the quality of materials. It was a struggle to keep the cladding anodised, but seeing it now, it was absolutely the right decision.”

    “Trust, ambition and a clear vision,” echoes Matt, “are the lessons that we have carried through to every project since.”

    The Diamond continues to stand as a testament to design excellence, innovation and collaboration, and as a project that will always hold a special place in our hearts.

    When citing this work, please use the following citation:

    Hearne, B. (2025). “Ten Years of The Diamond – Twelve Architects”. Centre for Engineering Education Blog, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. January 2026. https://ceesheffield.co.uk/2026/10/27/innovationinengineeringeducation/

  • A Cathedral to Engineering Education: The Diamond Building

    A Cathedral to Engineering Education: The Diamond Building

    Exterior of the diamond building

    Twelve Architects, who worked closely with engineers and University of Sheffield stakeholders to design and deliver The Diamond building, have taken the opportunity to reflect on what The Diamond has become and what it has meant to those who use it.

    More than a decade after its completion, The Diamond at the University of Sheffield continues to stand as a symbol of innovation in engineering education, and a career-defining project for many of those involved in its creation. As part of our ten year celebration, we asked members of the original client team to share their reflections on the building.
    For

    Stephen Beck, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, The Diamond has had a profound and measurable impact on the Faculty and its students.

    “It has allowed us to double the size of the student cohort and helped position us as leaders in engineering education,” he reflects. “I show visitors around and say, ‘This is the best practical education environment in the world’ and I’ve never been contradicted.”

    From the outset, the design of The Diamond encouraged collaboration and cross-disciplinary learning, creating spaces that inspire both staff and students. Stephen Beck describes the experience of being part of the project as deeply rewarding: “It was great to be part of a team where each member used their skills to deliver a world-leading facility for engineering education. It’s certainly been a high point of my career. Truly career defining.”

    “It is a cathedral to engineering education”

    Professor Mike Hounslow, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Engineering at the University and often described as the “father of the project”, recalls how the building has shaped the University’s academic landscape: “We’ve seen growth in student numbers, an improvement in the student experience and a rise in educational aspiration,” he explains. “The building encouraged student-led activity and created a culture of openness and innovation. It’s a cathedral to engineering education.”
    Reflecting on the decade since its opening, he adds: “Its impact has only become more positive over time. It’s an iconic, open, and practical space that continues to define what engineering education can be.”

    “The building of choice”

    For Keith Lilley, former Director of Estates at the University, The Diamond has always been “the building of choice”. “The building was full from day one,” he recalls. “It immediately became the go-to place for student study, so popular that the growth plan was realised straight away.”

    Despite challenges during planning and construction, he describes the project as having a “lasting legacy”. “The Diamond was hard won, with planning hurdles and construction challenges, but it proved to be the most popular building with students. It undoubtedly contributed to the success of the Faculty of Engineering as a whole and remains a premium facility in UK higher education.”

    Today, The Diamond continues to feature prominently in the University’s promotional material, celebrated as a defining space for learning and collaboration. “It’s incredible,” he adds. “The building remains a lasting legacy, not only for the University but for everyone who worked on it.”

    A decade after its opening, The Diamond continues to embody the ambition and collaboration that brought it to life. Its success has paved the way for new approaches to education, inspiring similar developments across the UK and beyond.

    When citing this work, please use the following citation:

    Hearne, B. (2025). “A Cathedral to Engineering Education: The Diamond Building 10 Years”. Centre for Engineering Education Blog, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. December 2025. https://ceesheffield.co.uk/2025/02/16/a-cathedral-to-engineering-education-the-diamond-building/