Green light for ‘striking’ new uni development
A“STRIKING and appealing” addition to the University of Birmingham’s campus in Edgbaston has been given the city’s backing.
Councillors have awarded the green light to a new development which will bring together the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics into one building.
Despite the design not being to the taste of some Birmingham Post readers, members of Birmingham City Council’s planning committee gave the three-storey block the thumbs up.
Councillor Barry Henley (Lab, Brandwood) called the project “both striking and appealing”, while Peter Douglas Osborn (Con Weoley) said “buildings follow fashion and this is bang up to date”.
He expressed concern though that it would be out of date in a decade’s time due to architecture trends being fashionable.
Fiona Williams (Lab Hodge Hill) told the meeting: “I’m pleased we haven’t had anything wacky but still got something distinctive. People will say ‘that ham’. ”
The science and technology hub will be called “Central Teaching Labs” and have five separate teaching and work areas focused on fields such as chemistry, electronics and virtual teaching.
It will house around 25 staff and 750 students currently based in various buildings dotted around the campus and there will be on-site parking for 27 bikes and seven cars.
The neighbouring is the University of Birming- Munrow Sports Centre will be demolished to create a 105-space car park once the delayed new sports centre finally opens later this year.
The labs feed into the wider £300 million regeneration of the university’s campus, including new halls of residence, sports fields, a library and 50-metre swimming pool.
Alex Solk, partner at Sheppard Robson which designed the scheme, said: “The project has been designed to glue the departments together and encour- age interaction between the different disciplines, as well as between the university and other educational institutions.
“At the early stages of the project, it became clear that co-location wasn’t enough.”
Professor Jon Binner, deputy head of the university’s engineering and physical sciences college, said: “This announcement is fantastic news for the university and region and marks an exciting new direction in the provision of science and engineering education.
“The labs will enable us to transform the way we teach practical classes through the use of cutting-edge technologies, state-of-the-art equipment and increased opportunity for collaborative teaching.”
Director of estates Trevor Payne added: “We are delighted to hear the designs were positively received.
“The proposals we put forward have been carefully developed with students and teaching staff in mind, as well as considering how the interactive spaces could be used by schools and partners in the region.
“The visually stimulating, innovative designs reflect our approach to modern practical teaching for the next generation of scientists, engineers and technology entrepreneurs.”