The new building provides a further 3000 sq m of space
New Business School building open for business
The Business School is ready for a new era of expansion following the completion of its new £16m building, part of a wider £25million commitment to improving facilities.
The extension, designed by HLM Architects, is part of the university’s £275m investment programme and will enable the business school to double in size by next year, providing the capacity for a total of 3,000 students and 120 academic staff.
Adding 3,000 sq m (32,292 sq ft) to the existing business school space, the new building provides a centralised entrance, a large cafe with open-plan learning and teaching spaces along with student support functions on the ground floor.
Lecture theatres, teaching rooms and research space are located on the two upper floors and there is also a management suite on the third floor.
The building was designed to be state of the art in terms of energy efficiency and it has achieved a BREEAM (BRE Energy Assessment Method) ‘Excellent’ rating. Solar hot water panels have been included on the roof and, together with high levels of insulation and air-tightness as well as the inclusion of natural ventilation methods, the design has beaten by 15% the carbon emission reduction requirement of Part L of the Building Regulations.
Professor Robin Mason, Acting Dean of the Business School, said: “This wonderful new space will help us to realise our full potential and support our ambitious growth plans. Not only does it create a cohesive business school campus suitable for undergraduate, post-graduate and international students but it provides the learning environment, ambience and image to give us the edge in an increasingly competitive market place.”
The Chinese New Year was recently celebrated in the new building, a short video of which can be found here.
Date: 11 April 2011
