Kingston University will pump water from the Thames to provide energy to its new £55m building in Penrhyn Road.

From March 2015: Kingston University's proposed £55m new building plan rejected

From August 2015: Kingston University town house plans back before councillors​

Plans for the sprawling 9,320 sq m town house building, to replace the current outdated structure, were approved by Kingston Council in August last year.

The new building, which at its tallest stands at six storeys, will include two cafes, a multi-media auditorium, three landscaped areas, and a learning resources centre with group study areas and special collections.

The reduction of a stair and lift tower and the removal of a fifth-floor bridge were also included in the revised plans, with a colonnade set back an extra metre from Penrhyn Road.

The front parking area will be landscaped over in order to meet the university’s targets on reducing carbon emissions by encouraging staff and students to cycle or take the bus or train.

The university's estate plans for the next decade were put on display yesterday at the Penrhyn Road campus in the first of two public consultations.

Connor Wilson, deputy director of estates at the university, said a river source heat pump would also be introduced in 2017 to extract heat from the Thames to provide energy to the university buildings.

He said: “We’re improving our sustainability and reducing our energy use. We’re not using gas and we’re using heat from the river.

“You wouldn’t notice the temperature drop in the river. It will help us reduce our carbon footprint.”

He added talks with the council and the residents were still ongoing.

A new ‘smart floor’ is also expected in a science building, and could be modified to display the periodic table or parts of the river according to Mr Wilson.