Brotherton West

Spotlight: The Design Office

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Delivering spaces across campus that support the University strategy

We’ve pulled together a gallery of some of our favourite shots from the Estates Design Office’s recent projects including the refurbishment of study spaces in the Maurice Keyworth building, The Language Centre building project, the refurbishment of the School of Language teaching spaces at Lyddon Terrace and the refurbishment of Brotherton West.

The Design Office is not only responsible for refurbishing existing teaching space but also new buildings on campus such as Nexus. Nexus is a high profile gateway to research and innovation at the University and a UK-leading environment for collaboration and partnership.

A photograph of Esther Simpson

The Esther Simpson Building

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The latest phase of the LUBS and School of Law Expansion project will pay tribute to the University of Leeds graduate, Esther Simpson.

Esther Simpson, who graduated from Leeds in 1924 with first class honours in French with German, spent nearly all her working life as secretary to the Academic Assistance Council (later, the Society for the Protection of Science and Learning – SPSL). She was awarded the OBE in 1956; the French Government made her Officier d’Académie; and after her retirement in 1966, she received two honorary doctorates, including one from Leeds in 1989.

In honour of her career, this new building is now officially called The Esther Simpson Building. It will be a new central teaching space for all to use and will provide technology-rich, flexible teaching spaces, lecture theatres, and trading rooms. Work began at the Lyddon Terrace site in Winter 2019 and is due to be completed in 2021.

Watch a fly-through of the Esther Simpson Building.

 

 

 

Security Services leaving a helping hand flyer on an unattended iPad

Security giving you a helping hand

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Security Services are starting a new campaign to give you a helping hand with keeping your property safe. From Monday 20 January, Security started to place new hand-shaped flyers on any unattended property in public spaces around campus to highlight the risk of opportunistic theft.

Whilst campus is generally a safe and secure space, it is also important to understand that there is always a risk of crime in a big city like Leeds and you need to take steps to protect yourself from it. You probably take your laptop and phone down to the library to study most days. If you leave them unattended to nip away for a coffee, then you could have lost hundreds if not thousands of pounds worth of items by the time you get back.

We’re hoping that if you come back to see one of our helping hands on your stuff, then you’ll realise it would’ve only taken seconds for it to have been stolen.

– Andy Gordon-Platt, Crime Prevention Advisor

Andy Gordon-Platt, the University’s Crime Prevention Advisor, came up with the concept for the ‘helping hand’, “The police had a similar anti-burglary campaign a few years ago. I thought that a version of this could make a real impact on reducing opportunistic theft within our public spaces. We’re hoping that if you come back to see one of our helping hands on your stuff, then you’ll realise it would’ve only taken seconds for it to have been stolen. With our officers’ regular uniformed patrols of campus, students are also able to ask questions about how they can best protect their property.”

If you want to know more about security on campus and how to keep yourself and your property safe, then why not visit the Security drop-in sessions in the LUU Foyer? They’re 11am – 2pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays and you’ll be able to speak with the Police Higher Education Liaison Officer, PC Becky Hurrell, the Crime Prevention Advisor, Andy Gordon-Platt, and the on-duty operations manager. For further information and advice, visit leeds.ac.uk/security.

Completed Language Centre in the Parkinson Building

Language Centre transformation speaks volumes

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Language Centre staff and students have moved back ‘home’ into Parkinson after a 15-month construction project to transform facilities in the iconic building.

Refurbishment of levels two and three provide high quality facilities for learning and teaching, including the Centre’s area for independent language learning, which is available to all staff and students.

It also provides workspace for colleagues comprising the Centre for Excellence in Language Teaching in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies.

The project has been designed to maximise space while highlighting key features of this historic building, also retaining the Centre as a key gateway to the University for many international students.

New facilities provide a modern and attractive learning environment.

The third floor is now exclusively for Language Centre colleagues and comprises office and meeting space, while the second floor has been reconfigured to be student facing, including:

  • a new Language Centre reception and Student Support Office
  • a reconfigured Language Zone entrance
  • five rooms for small group teaching, complete with lecture capture facilities; and
  • three technology enhanced rooms for innovation in language teaching.

Rupert Herington, Deputy Director, Language Centre, said: “After 15 months elsewhere on campus, we are very pleased to be back in the Parkinson building and very happy with how the two floors have been transformed.”

Other features of the development include:

  • refurbished common and pastoral areas
  • improved signage throughout the Centre
  • new ‘breakout’ areas and private seating booths for group or individual study
  • additional meeting and consultation rooms
  • new staff facilities, including kitchen areas and ‘breakout’ space; and
  • improved lighting and ventilation to provide a more comfortable and energy-efficient environment.

Penny Tiffney, Senior Interior Architectural Designer in Estates, said: “The success of the completed scheme, is a direct result of a collaboration and frequent communication between the Estates team, our consultants, the contractor and the stakeholders. The focus was on the details and that is evident in the elegance of the completed scheme.

“The existing structure, with its heavy masonry brickwork, initially offered its challenges, but our design consultants, Associated Architects, worked with the structural grid to create new spaces that complimented the rhythm of this Grade II listed building.

“The essence of the specified interior finishes was to complement the original aesthetics. The original parquet, walnut doors and brass ironmongery were restored, in part, or recreated to match existing. And the new colour palette was subtle and muted, so as not to detract from original architectural features.”