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ULSTER UNIVERSITY BELFAST CAMPUS, NORTHERN IRELAND
The university established a ‘vertical campus’ to promote natural interaction among its various faculties
Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment; Life and Health Sciences; Arts, Humanities and Socials Sciences; and the Ulster University Business School. As well as ensuring each faculty includes
the “necessary functional adjacencies” to formal research, study and teaching areas, the design also offers a diverse range of social learning hubs dispersed throughout the buildings. Other areas include spaces for quiet personal work and focused group learning, with “IT-rich” collaborative study zones, informally arranged soft seating, and breakout areas for impromptu events. Throughout the building, innovative design solutions cater to the needs of an educational environment. On the upper levels, movable folding partitions subdivide the larger classrooms while meeting the acoustic requirements. These areas also feature simple, multi- purpose desks that provide flexibility and can adapt to different learning and teaching approaches.
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At the lower levels, the development boasts two “state-of-the-art” lecture theatres with capacities of 350 and 250 people. Located down through two basement levels, the theatres are connected by a “generous” two storey break-out area that doubles up as an event space and can accommodate overflow from both halls. The significant amounts of break-out space within the buildings help orient users while promoting gathering and interaction. In addition to the triple-height entrance and ‘urban porch’ on York Street, the design incorporates indoor ‘plaza’-like spaces on level 3. The north-facing atria serve to bring natural light deep into the building. The campus’s major circulation routes act as a connecting spine, linking the break- out spaces and facilitating easy movement throughout the building. Accessed from these circulation spines are the flexible 12 x 6 metre grid floor plates. This design approach allows the spaces to evolve in line with the changing needs of the university.
ADF MAY 2023
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