University of Derby Business School Receives Highly Commended Recognition at the Façade Awards UK 2026

The Cavendish Building, the new home of the University of Derby International Business School, has received Highly Commended recognition at the Façade Awards UK 2026, celebrating its use of an aluminium rainscreen cladding system.

Recognised in the ‘Best Use of a Rainscreen System Using Aluminium’ category, the project was commended for the façade work delivered by Advanced Roofing & Cladding Ltd and Proteus Façades, alongside the wider project team.

Taylor Maxwell, working in partnership with SBS Cladding, supplied Anvil PPSF aluminium cladding and Argeton Terzo terracotta cladding for the development, contributing to the building's distinctive external appearance.

Located on Agard Street in Derby city centre, The Cavendish Building represents a £75 million investment in the University's future, providing a new home for its International Business School.

Designed to strengthen the University's presence within the city, the seven-storey development delivers almost 10,000m² of specialist academic, social and professional space. Its facilities include a 300-seat lecture theatre, a dedicated trading room, virtual reality suite, specialist teaching spaces and business start-up facilities, creating an environment that brings education and industry closer together.

Designed by CPMG Architects and delivered by main contractor Kier, the building establishes a prominent architectural presence within Derby city centre. Its design incorporates a dramatic 36-metre central atrium, complete with a floating steel staircase, bringing natural light into the building and connecting its different floors.

The development also places considerable emphasis on sustainability, incorporating low-carbon concrete, renewable energy technologies and modern methods of construction to support the University's longer-term environmental ambitions.

The building's external appearance brings together a combination of materials, finishes and architectural detailing, creating a distinctive identity within Derby city centre.

Working in partnership with SBS Cladding, Taylor Maxwell supplied two façade systems for the development: Anvil Pressed Plank Secret Fix (PPSF) aluminium cladding and Argeton Terzo terracotta cladding.

The Anvil PPSF system offers a clean, consistent finish through its concealed fixing arrangement, with pressed aluminium planks secured to an aluminium support framework. This provides flexibility in panel orientation and arrangement, allowing the system to meet different architectural requirements.

Alongside this, Argeton Terzo terracotta introduces the natural qualities of fired clay to the building's external material palette. Manufactured from natural clay and water, the panels feature distinctive deep grooves, creating texture and variation through light and shadow.

These systems form part of a wider façade design that also incorporates prominent reddish-brown glass reinforced concrete (GRC) elements, which provide much of the building's external architectural framing and detailing.

The combination of materials demonstrates how different façade systems can work together within a single development, bringing together varied textures, finishes and technical properties to achieve the overall architectural vision.

The Highly Commended recognition at the Façade Awards UK 2026 is a welcome achievement for everyone involved in delivering The Cavendish Building.

The Best Use of a Rainscreen System Using Aluminium category, sponsored by United Anodisers Limited, recognises the application of aluminium rainscreen systems within building design, celebrating the collaboration and technical expertise behind successful façade projects.

Congratulations to Advanced Roofing & Cladding Ltd, Proteus Façades and the wider project team on this recognition.

Taylor Maxwell is proud to have supported this development in partnership with SBS Cladding, supplying Anvil and Argeton façade systems as part of the building's external material package.

Interested in how we can help provide cladding for your next project? Get in contact with us here.