The University of Sheffield’s Faculty of Social Sciences building, the Wave, has been shortlisted for the RIBA Yorkshire Awards 2025, a recognition that highlights its pioneering approach to sustainable, inclusive, and collaborative higher education environments.
Designed by HLM Architects, The Wave is a world-class, BREEAM Outstanding, all-electric building that redefines the future of learning spaces. Spanning 16,600 sqm, this innovative facility promotes active learning, housing five key departments within an interconnected, flexible environment that fosters interdisciplinary collaboration while reducing spatial and energy requirements.
Design Approach
The architectural vision behind the Wave reflects the dynamic and interconnected nature of social sciences.
The architectural vision behind the Wave reflects the dynamic and interconnected nature of social sciences. Overlapping curved floor plates are thoughtfully organised around a central atrium, where a vibrant collaborative research hub sits at the heart of the building. This flexible hub provides space for diverse research groups to work together, tackling some of the most pressing global challenges. The tiered steps within the atrium create an inviting performance and presentation space, encouraging spontaneous discussions, debates, and community gatherings.
“Being shortlisted for the RIBA Yorkshire Awards is a tremendous honour,” said Associate, Karl Brown. “The Wave represents a milestone in sustainable and inclusive design, setting new standards for higher education environments not just in Yorkshire, but across the UK. This recognition underscores the transformative impact the building has on both the University and the wider Sheffield community.”
Mark Holden, Associate Director of Estates and Facilities Management at the University of Sheffield, said: “We are incredibly proud that the Wave has been shortlisted for the RIBA Yorkshire Awards 2025, putting it alongside so many other pioneering, beautiful and important projects. The Wave represents our commitment to creating spaces on campus for our students and staff that are sustainable, innovative, and have a positive impact on the urban environment.”
The Wave: Connection to the local community of Sheffield
Unusually for a university building, the Wave is an open public building, fostering a strong connection with the local community. Flanked by small urban parks and featuring a bustling café that spills into the central atrium, the building encourages public engagement. Its location—on a complex site formerly used as sports pitches over an old reservoir in a conservation area—required close collaboration with local stakeholders and planning officers to ensure the design harmoniously integrated with its surroundings.
Externally, the public realm connects the building to its urban context through thoughtfully designed external learning environments and social spaces. Rain gardens, tree planting, and accessible pathways enhance biodiversity and inclusivity, creating welcoming spaces for students, staff, local residents, and visitors from the neighbouring hospital. The building’s façade is a rhythmic pattern of glazed and solid panels creating a curved form that reflects the world around it. Overlapping floor plates hint at the fluidity between disciplines and the interrelation between academic departments.
Internally, learning spaces are strategically arranged to support various study preferences, from dynamic, bustling environments on the ground floor to quieter, reflective areas on the upper levels. This approach embodies the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion that are central to the social sciences.
As the Wave continues to inspire both students and the wider community, its shortlisting for the RIBA Yorkshire Awards 2025 celebrates its role as a beacon of sustainable, adaptable, and inclusive design, setting a benchmark for future educational environments.
