According to the university, the Lyth building has been shut for investigations into possible defects and associated infrastructure work.According to local news provider Nottinghamshire Live, the building closed last spring after wet rot was discovered in its structural timber.The 11.5 million building at Brackenhurst the university's rural Southwell-based campus was completed in 2020 and was named RIBA East Midlands Building of the Year in 2022.AdvertisementIt officially opened in January 2023, serving as the new home of the universitys School of Animal, Rural and Environment Sciences, with research labs, teaching rooms, and a 200-capacity lecture theatre.Regarding the alleged defects, the buildings main contractor Clegg Construction confirmed to the AJ: There is an ongoing investigation that is being dealt with by PI Insurers.In September, NTU submitted a planning application for a temporary portacabin on the Brackenhurst Campus, which it said would provide alternative teaching and dining facilities while the Lyth building remains closed for essential improvement works.A cover letter submitted by planning consultant P&DG on behalf of NTU said the proposal would support the ongoing operation of the university, temporarily replacing the refectory in the Lyth Building, while it undergoes essential improvement works.The letter added: The Lyth Building is required to be vacant during the duration of the works, the timescales of which are not fully known at this time.AdvertisementThe planning application, which has yet to be ruled on by Newark & Sherwood Council, requires a temporary consent of up to five years for the portacabin.The temporary building would sit in the footprint of a now-demolished building on the campus, the Medlar building.An NTU spokesperson confirmed that the Lyth building has been temporarily closed for investigations into possible defects and associated infrastructure work.They added: Alternative, high-quality teaching and ancillary space has already been put in place to support our students.When the project won East Midlands Building of the Year in 2022, the RIBA jury said: The Lyth sits elegantly into its context of listed buildings and designed landscapes, while giving a centre and focus to the burgeoning campus of NTU. It has raised the bar for future development.Evans Vettori has been contacted for comment.