review: higher education estates forum


evolving. Indeed, it won the Best Student Experience category at the Education Estates Awards in November 2017. The evolution of learning spaces is a


design reflects the view that the architect is the person creating the space, not using it, so it is essential that every project is student-led in terms of research. Osama Khan, Director of Learning and


Teaching at Southampton Solent University, and Ian Pratt, Director at Scott Brownrigg, conducted a joint presentation on “Designing Out the Challenges” in higher education estates. They argued that the relationship between space and learning is hugely under-researched and believe that learning should be a “collaborative activity”. Using a recent project designed by Scott Brownrigg as the case study for their presentation, they discussed the 10,000 sqm Spark Building, which was designed with the concept of a collaborative design process in mind. Pratt commented that “from the architect’s perspective it [the Spark Building] reflects the importance of putting the user at the centre of the design concept”. The original concept of the Spark Building was to promote interdisciplinary activity and collaboration, with those using the space being able to rearrange the teaching rooms flexibly and according to their needs. With this in mind, they considered elements such as furniture choice very early on in the design, arguing that it should not be considered as an afterthought. The building, situated at the North end of the Solent campus, has not only become a campus landmark but is also a product of the research into how learning spaces are


topic that was also brought up by Aaron Taylor, Partner at Stantec. While corporate workspaces have changed in order to adapt to technology and the ways in which we work, so too have university workspaces. This creates multi-purpose spaces that can be used for both “earning and learning,” and designers need to therefore question the fact that “as the models of learning are changing, how will this manifest itself in our education estate in the coming years?”


Event sponsor:


Attendees’ thoughts on the hee forum 2018


Jim Nardone, National Specification Manager, Coram Showers, said: “I got a lot from the event. I was particularly interested to learn about some of the developments in modular and offsite construction, which offer interesting opportunities for Coram.”


Robert Walton, Sales and Marketing Director, Knightsbridge Furniture Productions, said: “I’d not been to a HEE Forum before, but it turned out to be one of the best shows I’ve been to. I met some very good people, and have had quite a few quotation requests. The talks were excellent too.”


Energy specialist Veolia, which sponsored the hee forum, works with educational institutions to carefully manage energy usage to boost energy efficiency and reduce both energy and maintenance costs. It has installed 24.2MWe of Combined Heat & Power (CHP) systems in UK universities and colleges, which saves 38,800 tonnes of CO2 per year. This supports the education facilities and housing of more than 200,000 students on over 60 campuses.


Veolia regularly carries out energy audits with customers to identify areas for improvement in energy performance. This audit allows it to develop a plan with customers to manage facilities, implement planned maintenance and monitor energy performance to reduce consumption.


Effective management of heating/ cooling and lighting costs, which are the biggest energy costs on campuses, can quickly reduce energy consumption leading to savings that can be used to fund more expensive projects.


uki.contactee@veolia.com


IID Architects said: “An invaluable window into the HE construction sector.”


Bosworth College said: “A great event and a great opportunity to meet with others in the same line of work and hear their thoughts on similar issues and projects and how they dealt with them. It was also good to have so many specific suppliers under one roof and to get so much information in one hit.”


Brentwood Consultants said: “Informed, professional and faultless event hosted by a team for who nothing was too much trouble. Far exceeding expectations in the networking environment.”


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