At the centre of it all: FIEGER louvre windows at Campus Central, University of Stirling
At the University of Stirling, Campus Central has transformed the heart of the campus into a brighter, more open, and more connected place for students, staff, and visitors. Designed by Page\Park Architects, the project involved the refurbishment of the existing atrium and the construction of a new three-storey building, creating new study and social spaces at the centre of the university. The project was commissioned by the University of Stirling, built by Robertson Construction Ltd, with façade works delivered by Marshall Brown Ltd. The result is an award-winning campus landmark. Campus Central received a 2023 RIAS Award, with RIBA describing the project as a redevelopment that combines refurbishment and extension of an existing 1970s building to create an improved student experience, including new learning spaces and enhanced student support facilities.
Visit a reference projectSolution
Smoke Ventilation , Natural ventilation
Location
Stirling, Scotland
Sector
Education
Project Type
Refurbishment
A new heart for campus life
The Campus Central project was created to make the university’s central spaces more welcoming, accessible, and useful throughout the day. The development brought together refurbished internal areas, new-build space, and improvements to the surrounding landscape, helping to strengthen the connection between the existing buildings and the wider campus.
Page\Park’s ambition was to improve the entrance setting of Queen’s Court, allowing the life and activity of the new building and atrium to open out into a more pedestrian-friendly environment. The University of Stirling also describes the opening of Campus Central in 2021 as the final stage of a wider campus renovation that included new sports facilities, an atrium, study zone, entrance hall, and relocated transport hub.
With new study areas, social spaces, and a more legible campus entrance, Campus Central was designed to support the everyday movement, meeting, and learning that define university life.
The need: daylight, comfort, and life safety
In a building designed around shared study and social activity, indoor comfort was an important priority. Natural ventilation was seen as an energy-efficient approach to maintaining a comfortable environment, using double-glazed louvres to complement the project’s natural lighting strategy. At the same time, the ventilation openings had to support the building’s emergency smoke control strategy. In the event of a fire, smoke and heat extraction can play an important role in helping protect escape routes and supporting safer evacuation conditions. This meant the façade openings needed to do several things at once. They had to provide general ventilation during everyday use, support smoke control in an emergency, comply with the Scottish Building Regulations, and integrate neatly into the curtain walling. To meet these combined requirements, Page\Park Architects specified the FIEGER FLW 32 SmoTec system.
FIEGER FLW 32 SmoTec: tailored to the façade
Working closely with façade contractor Marshall Brown Ltd, FIEGER supplied 17 FLW 32 SmoTec louvre windows for Campus Central. Each unit was designed with solar-control double glazing, helping the façade support daylight and comfort while limiting unwanted heat gain. The vents were developed with a bespoke blade arrangement to meet the architect’s requirements and the relevant building regulations. This included smaller louvre blades up to 1100 mm, stainless steel security bars, and larger louvre blades above. To support a clean installation into the curtain walling, the vents were manufactured with integral glazing adapters. All units were finished with an anodised-effect coating selected to match the surrounding façade framework, allowing the louvre windows to sit naturally within the wider architectural expression. The result is a solution that feels coordinated rather than added on. The louvre windows are clearly functional, but they also follow the rhythm, colour, and detailing of the façade.
One opening, two essential roles
The FIEGER louvre windows at Campus Central support both natural ventilation and smoke control.
During normal operation, the vents can provide fresh outdoor air to help maintain comfortable conditions in the university’s shared study and social spaces. This supports the building’s energy-efficient comfort strategy and helps reduce reliance on fully mechanical ventilation when outdoor conditions allow.
In an emergency, the same façade-integrated openings can support smoke control. The vents were supplied with motorised actuators fitted to the side frames, selected for safe operation and connectivity with the Building Management System.
This dual function is one of the key strengths of the FIEGER SmoTec approach. Instead of treating comfort ventilation and smoke control as separate façade challenges, the project uses one integrated opening type to support both everyday performance and life safety.
Energy-efficient performance in the details
The FIEGER FLW 32 SmoTec units were selected not only for their ability to open, but for their performance as part of the building envelope. The case material highlights the energy-efficient design of the vents, achieved through low air leakage and low U-values. These characteristics matter in a glazed façade, where openings must support ventilation without weakening the overall thermal performance of the building. The units are tested to EN 12101-2 for natural smoke vents and to BS 6180:2011 for barrier loading. This gives the system a clear role in both the building’s smoke control strategy and its wider safety concept. For Campus Central, these technical qualities are quietly embedded in the architecture. Students and staff may experience the result simply as a brighter, more comfortable, and more open campus environment. Behind that experience sits a carefully coordinated façade solution designed to support comfort, safety, and energy efficiency.
A campus landmark with integrated intelligence
Campus Central demonstrates how a university building can make better use of its existing estate while adding new spaces that feel open, active, and connected. The project improves circulation, supports social learning, and gives the University of Stirling a stronger central focus for campus life. The FIEGER FLW 32 SmoTec louvre windows play a discreet but important role in that transformation. Integrated into the curtain walling, they support natural ventilation in everyday use and smoke control in an emergency, while maintaining the clean architectural language of the façade. For a project created to bring people together at the centre of campus, that integration matters. Fresh air, daylight, safety, and façade design are not treated as separate concerns. They work together as part of one carefully considered building. At Campus Central, the result is a university environment where comfort and safety are built into the architecture – quietly, reliably, and right at the heart of student life.
