Better by degrees
Reporter DURHAM University has revealed its latest expansion plans – a new £41.9m mathematical sciences and computer science building.
Located on the institute’s Upper Mountjoy campus, the building will increase student numbers within the department from 800 to 1,600.
Work on it is expected to begin in September and be completed by September 2020.
At a public consultation unveiling the proposal, plans were also shown for changes to the road layout within Durham city that will cost £8m.
The project is part of the university’s 10-year strategy that includes a new centre for teaching and learning, library expansion and the relocation of the Queen’s Campus in Stockton to Durham city.
Professor Patrick Hussey, ProVice-Chancellor on maths and computer sciences, said the department is oversubscribed. He added: “We get far more students coming to give us applications and really we are turning away high quality A* students. So as part of the academic strategy we are focusing on those particular subjects, with maths and computer science being the first of those subjects. To do that, we need a world-leading building to be able to cope with that expansion.”
Prof Hussey said the current building is not fit for purpose.
He added: “It does not have modern teaching facilities, doesn’t even have areas where students can congregate and study.
“The new building has the student experience at the centre of it.
“As you walk into the building there is a student study area and throughout the central spine of the building there’s a student flow where there are student break-out areas, teaching rooms, tutorial rooms, and at the same time, radiating out from that you have the research areas which are more reflective.”
The number of academic staff is also expected to double, Prof Hussey said. “We really have to stay competitive, not just in the national market but world market,” he added. “It is very important for us that we can compete not just with the top universities in Britain but also the top universities in the world.
“We are currently in the top 100 of the world ranking and we cannot afford to fall out of that. So we have to maintain both our strength in research and strength in teaching.”
It will also include teaching and staff offices and a entrepreneurial hub. Prof Hussey added: “We have around 3,000 students doing enterprise activity within the university but there is no home for them.
“They are spread around the departments and various societies. It will provide a home for people to come together and talk tech.”
A new pedestrian route has also been proposed to the east of South Road, between the Mount Oswald site and the New Inn junction; a second vehicular entrance to the Mountjoy site via Hollingside Lane; and a car park at Upper Mountjoy, which will cancel any loss of existing spaces at other university sites under consideration for development.
Durham County Council is proposing to widen the footpath on Church Street to three metres in places, by reducing the width of the road. There would also be changes to parking on the street, the relocation of a bus stop and some changes to the Boyd Street junction.
Director of estates and facilities David Loudon, who is responsible for delivering the infrastructure project, said the improvements will be good for the city, community and visitors. Consultation on the proposals is now open and runs until Friday, May 11. Visit www.durham. ac.uk/mcs and for the road layout go to www.dur.ac.uk/estates-developments/projects/infrastructure/