- Human Resources
- Sports Centre
- Charles Carter Building
- Woodland Fitness Trail
- LICA Building
- County South Refurbishment
- Bailrigg House Restoration
- Faraday Lecture Theatre Refurbishment
- Learning Zone
- ISS
- Grizedale College Social Complex
- Grizedale & County Eco-Residences
- Postgraduate Statistics Centre (PSC)
- Awards
Human Resources
The former computer centre has undergone a refurbishment project to upgrade and reconfigure the internal layout to combine the four departments of HR under one roof. The building now provides the department with a high quality flexible training facility for staff, students and delegates. The accessible and inclusive design creates a pleasant working environment, maximising both natural light and daylight. It provides a PC drop in facility for staff without permanent offices and embraces modern technology with a flexible working ethic.
A specific feature of the building is its green roof which provides many benefits including a refuge for wildlife and reduction of surface water runoff. This additional material above the membrane also acts as a protective layer to the waterproofing itself. More information is available here.
The building was designed and built to achieve a BREEAM very good environmental building standard.
Sports Centre
Senior Project Manager: Alan Haydock
The new Sports Centre opened its doors on 1st August 2011.
The state of the art facility will offer a 25 metre Swimming Pool with 8 lanes, Climbing Wall & Bouldering Cave, Health & Fitness Suites, Sauna & Steam Room, Multi-functional Space, Sports Hall with 8 badminton Courts, 4 Squash Courts and Outdoor Changing Facilities. The centre is 30 percent bigger than the university’s existing sports facility. The eight lane pool will include a ‘floating floor’ which can vary the depth of the pool and the new climbing wall has been specially designed with input from renowned mountaineer and Chancellor Sir Christian Bonington.
Further information about the Sports Centre including membership details can be viewed here.
You can also view a timelapse video of the sports centre being built here.
Charles Carter Building
Officially opened: May 2011
Project Manager: Paul Garstang
The 4,000sq m building, named after the founding Vice-Chancellor, provides additional academic facilities for Lancaster University Management School. It is built in the same architectural style as the new Grizedale College development, with angular grassed and seating areas on George Fox Square. The ground floor of the building includes an open plan glazed atrium, an executive meeting room and lecture theatre while the upper floors include open plan PhD work areas, a large meeting room and academic offices.
It has been built to the highest environmental standards by Galliford Try, achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating. The architects, John McAslan and Partners, have integrated energy-reducing features into the design wherever possible. The south elevation is designed to shade the building while the concrete roof protects the top floor from heating up in the sun. Recycling facilities are located throughout the building, and reduction of car use will also be promoted as the landscaping includes secure, covered bicycle spaces. A staff shower facility is provided on each floor.
Woodland Fitness Trail
Completed: November 2010
Landscape Manager: Ian Sturzaker
Students and staff at Lancaster University can now make the most of 150 year old woodland surrounding campus thanks to a new trail through the campus grounds. The 2.6 mile route includes an outdoor ‘trim trail’ – a series of fixed, timber exercise stations designed to improve cardio vascular fitness and test upper and lower body muscular strength.
Originally planted in 1841 as sporting woodland for The Bigforth Estate, sections of the wood were not previously easily accessible. The new trail now provides a challenging circuit for people of all fitness abilities, from serious athletes to people looking for a quick study break and a breath of fresh air. Gated entrances, clear signposting, board walks and wooden steps mean that most people can complete the entire walk in around 1.5 hours but for those needing to squeeze a bit of exercise in between lectures or over lunch then there are plenty of clearly signed exit and entry points.
The woodland is an important habitat for plant and animal life, including 120 bird species and three bat species; people using the trail might even catch sight of some of the Roe Deer which visit from time to time. Further woodland improvements such as additional tree planting, managing invasive Rhododendron and other habitat improvements have already begun as part of a 10 year Management Plan to continue to enable the woodlands to develop.
The woodland trail is part of Lancaster University’s £300m campus development which has transformed the original 1960s fabric of the University by investing in new teaching, residential and social facilities for students and building world-class academic centres. It is just one of the measures the University is taking to invest in student and staff health and wellbeing.
LICA Building
Completed: October 2010
Senior Project Manager: Suzanne Parkinson
Construction was completed by Morgan Sindall in October 2010 a new £10m building to provide performance space for the Lancaster Institute for Contemporary Arts (LICA). The Building aims to achieve the BREEAM ‘outstanding’ standards which would make it the first Higher Education building in the UK to reach such strict environmental targets for construction .
LICA combines four academic groups; Art, Design, Music and Theatre Studies as well as three public arts facilities; the Peter Scott Gallery, the Nuffield Theatre and the International Concert Series. It also hosts the research group ImaginationLancaster.
The timber framed building, set in woodland on the north campus will be the public face of the LICA groups, with a stage for the nationally and internationally recognised work produced at Lancaster University.
The 5000 square metre environmentally-friendly timber building is wrapped in translucent cladding which filters varying degrees of light into the interior. The main accommodation includes three interlinked social spaces, with open plan offices upstairs.
To view the LICA Building User Guide please click here.
County South Refurbishment
Phase One Completed -May 2010
Project Managers - Nigel Beeden and Chris Maughan
A refurbishment project to upgrade and reconfigure the internal layout of County South was completed in May 2010.
County South, situated at the north end of the campus, is home to the following departments; Educational Research, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Institute for Cultural Research and Imagination / LICA, with residential accommodation on the top floor.
As part of the project a new pedestrian opening was built on the ground floor and the windows and doors were replaced on all floors affected by the works. The central courtyard was included in the refurbishment and improvements for disabled access were also made.
Phase Two (Dining Facilities) Completed - October 2010
Project Manager: Chris Maughan
The Facilities - Project Delivery team have completed work on a new dining facility for students, staff and visitors on the ground floor (north and east wings) of County South.
The Private Dining Rooms and The Lounge (staff zone) were completed for the Graduation Ceremonies in July 2010 and Refuel opened in October 2010 as a contemporary dining area. For more information on both of these new facilities visit the Hospitality website.
Bailrigg House Restoration Project
Completed - October 2010
Project Manager: Mike Harris
The Grade Two listed building has undergone external fabric restoration which included making good external areas that were damaged or worn through age or erosion and aesthetic improvements to the building to restore the building’s character.
Faraday Lecture Theatre Refurbishment
Completed - October 2009
Project Manager: Anna Cockman
The newly refurbished Faraday lecture theatres opened its doors for use on Monday 5th October. The refurbishment has included:
- Three large lecture theatres; Faraday, Cavendish & Frankland
- Upgrade of main entrance, foyer area, seminar rooms & toilets
- New windows
Learning Zone
Completed - September 2009
Project Manager - Anna Cockman
Students can now benefit from the new Learning Zone which opened its doors for the first time on Saturday September 26th. The 848sqm Learning Zone on Alexandra Square provides an open plan relaxing space for study.
There will be comprehensive WiFi coverage for students to connect their own laptops to the campus network, with a laptop loan service also available from the ISS Service Desk in the Zone.
Professor Amanda Chetwynd, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Colleges and and the student experience said: “The Learning Zone is an example of the University’s commitment to providing a high quality learning environment for students. The design has incorporated the suggestions that were fed through by the student survey which asked 2nd year students and postgraduates about their future needs and it’s great now to see such a welcoming learning space in a prime location open to students 24/7. “
There are booths for individual learning and a range of informal working spaces for small groups. Pods are bookable by students for meetings, presentations or group work, and other facilities include Apple Macintosh computers, colour printers, interactive white boards and data projectors.
The Zone is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
ISS
Completed - September 2009
Project Team: Peter McMullen (Senior Project Manager) and John Lee (Assistant Project Manager)
A new building has been constructed in the south of the campus to accommodate Information Systems Services (ISS) and cater for the future technological needs of the University.
ISS provide information technology services to Lancaster University including: the campus network, central computing services, software and public access PC Labs.
The new 2,493sqm building will provide office space approx. 100 ISS staff currently spread across the University campus. It will also provide a new Computer (data) Centre and machine rooms for storage of valuable equipment with improved security.
Grizedale College Social Complex
Completed - September 2009
Project Team: Peter McMullen (Senior Project Manager) and John Lee (Assistant Project Manager)
The new 902sqm Grizedale College Social Complex is now open for use.
The previous Grizedale College social space was demolished last summer and a new complex has been constructed in the same location at the south of the campus. The project has created a new identity for the college and features a new entrance foyer leading to a flexible social space which will includes: a bar, two administration offices, a porter’s lodge, meeting room, kitchen and launderette. The first floor will provide a space for students that don’t live on campus which will include a Junior Common Room (JCR) and a JCR office.
The new bar within the Grizedale Social Space is open between 10am – 4pm for tea, coffee, a selection of Paninis and alcoholic beverages.
Grizedale & County Field Eco-residences
Completed - County, December 2007 / Grizedale, September 2008
Senior Project Manager - Alan Haydock
The County Field UPP/Accent townhouses and flats comprise new-build student residences, conceived and designed to incorporate high levels of environmental performance, minimal emissions and excellent user information and control to provide a truly sustainable and comfortable living environment. Environmental considerations have been incorporated at every stage throughout the design and construction stages and the development has achieved a BREEAM Excellent status grading.
The scheme which represents part of Phase 4 of the Student Residences Project commenced in March 2007 and completed to schedule 21 December 2007 delivering 299 rooms and 24 flats. Students and families moved into their new accommodation in January 2008 and are now fully occupied.
Awards received to date include:
CHARTERED INSTITUTION OF BUILDING SERVICE ENGINEERS (CIBSE) North West Annual Awards - Winner of the 'Environmental Design' category, March 2009.
Winner of the 2008 BREEAM Award Category: Multi-Residential
'Excellent' BREEAM Environmental Assessment Award 2008. Click here to read more about the award.
'Secured by Design' Award from Lancashire Constabulary. Click here to read more about the award.
Postgraduate Statistics Centre
Completed - December 2007
Senior Project Manager - Suzanne Parkinson
In April 2005 mathematics and statistics were awarded £4.85 million from HEFCE over five years to establish a Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in Postgraduate Statistics. In 2005 the CETL team was actively engaged in designing a physical space on campus dedicated to Postgraduate activities.
The project was jointly funded by the University and the HEFCE grant. The aim of the PSC was to achieve excellence in teaching in statistics to those in the department and across the University. With collaborative partnerships at the core of the Project, uniting stakeholders both locally and internationally, the PSC is striving to improve and expand innovative approaches to postgraduate statistics across the Higher Education sector.
Awards received to date include:
'Excellent' BREEAM Environmental Assessment Award 2006.
Architectural Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Click here for more information.
Awards
BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a building's environmental performance.
To date the University has delivered seven BREEAM Excellent new builds and there are a further two BREEAM Excellent new builds are currently onsite.
Click here for more information about BREEAM.