Our heritage landscape
Our university was designed to grow out of the soil of Sussex, with distinctive architecture, surrounded by the beautiful South Downs National Park.
Designed with nature and community in mind
Our founding architect Sir Basil Spence created a number of highly distinctive signature buildings featuring iconic moats, courtyards and vaulted concrete arches. His design ensured that you never lose sight of the South Downs on campus, connecting you to nature.
The whole precinct should have the ‘sense of a university’ and should, if possible, grow out of the soil of Sussex to become a natural part of this beautiful site.” Sir Basil Spence
Our campus
- More than 60% of our campus is green
From the surrounding South Downs to our wooded, wild flower and grass areas, you’re always able to connect with nature on campus. Since 1961, we’ve worked to protect and grow the campus landscape. In 2012, we planted 2,500 trees to mark our 50th anniversary and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Over the past six years, we’ve added 61 more, including orchards of apple trees native to Sussex.
Through the West Slope development we’re re-establishing our historic ‘green core spine’ - a line of trees and soft landscaping that runs through the heart of campus. Originally envisioned by landscape architect Dame Sylvia Crowe, this green corridor will further weave nature into the heart of campus life, connecting our staff and students with the landscape.
- Supporting biodiversity
Many of our grass areas have been turned into wildflower beds, or left to revert to their chalk downland state. We’ve also partnered with Rewilding Sussex to enrich the scrubland on our western boundary, boosting biodiversity and supporting local ecosystems. Read more about our biodiversity and sustainability on campus.
- Forging better pathways through campus
Our development plans protect our heritage while investing in the future, enhancing the Sussex experience for all.
We’ll create modern, accessible and sustainable spaces to live, learn and connect, designed in harmony with our architectural legacy. We will renew Basil Spence’s original vision through distinctive new buildings that echo his choice of materials, while preserving views of the South Downs and supporting our sustainability goals.
We’ll thoughtfully modernise and restore our historic estate, improving pathways and movement across campus so it serves new generations as powerfully as it did the first.
- Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement
In 2015, we were the first university to sign a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement with Historic England and Brighton & Hove City Council, a collaboration that celebrates and protects our campus’ architectural legacy and allows the University the opportunity to improve and modernise buildings.
We recommitted to this partnership in 2022, which protects our historic listed buildings:
- Falmer House - Grade I
- Arts A and Arts B - Grade II*
- Attenborough Centre of the Creative Arts (formerly the Gardner Arts Centre) - Grade II*
- Chichester I - Grade II*
- Library – Grade II*
- Meeting House – Grade II*
- Pevensey I and Pevensey II - Grade II*
- Shawcross- Grade II*.