Archive for category: Estate Services

Meet Adam Ives, Senior Project Manager in the Capital Development Team at the University of Leeds. He works on managing all phases of building projects across campus, from appointments through to delivery.

Describe your job in a few sentences

My background is as a Chartered Building Surveyor but more recently I‘ve made the transition into a full time project management role in the Capital Development Team.

I manage building projects across our very diverse property portfolio. Typically this involves appointing and managing design and construction professionals, advising and delivering on procurement strategy and managing the construction and delivery phase of a project through to completion.

I’ve been at the University for nearly seven years and really enjoy building relationships with academic, operational and senior colleagues who we have supported to deliver a large number of projects to improve our estate for the students and staff who use it.

Tell us about a current project

I’m working on several specialist laboratory refurbishment schemes which means managing specialist professionals and suppliers to ensure that spaces are fit for purposes to meet the University’s research objectives.

One of these, in the Sir William Henry Bragg Building, involves installing an electromagnetic shielded chamber to house two microscopes.

The design team are working closely with the microscope manufacturers to ensure the area is fit for purpose and meets strict electromagnetic and anti-vibration criteria.

The lab is very close to other sensitive research laboratories so  great care has been taken to design out any interference between the two.

What aspects of your work do you think are the most important to people at the University (staff/students) ?

For our staff and students to perform to their best, they need facilities which allow this to happen. My position allows me to directly change our physical estate, across the campus, which in turn provides an environment which is fit for purpose and allows people to achieve their potential.

I’m a small piece of a big team of professionals whose varying disciplines allows us to make a difference so that our students and staff can achieve their potential. I’m very proud of that.   

What do you like most about your job?

No two days  are the same and the fast-paced environment challenges me with a wide variety of problems – every day is a school day!

I get the opportunity to work on complex and innovative projects that are very varied, and  that is difficult to find in other sectors. And I love that we are supporting the next generation of thinkers and doers with our work. I find that very rewarding.

Tell us about a project you are particularly proud of

A highlight has definitely been the extensive refurbishment and remodelling of the Brotherton Library Special Collections Research Suite including the John Bedford Room.

The scheme completed in early 2022 and the work was done during the pandemic –  which presented a unique and challenging set of constraints – but the finished space looks and feels fantastic. They now have a modern work area which been sympathetic to the adjacent grade two listed Brotherton Reading Room, and the overall effect is stunning.

Part of the scheme included the installation of a large mezzanine floor, with feature windows, which repurposes existing atrium space to provide much needed research space for the library.

The team effort from our external design consultants, main contractor, internal operational stakeholders and faculty colleagues resulted in an enjoyable project which delivered a space that everyone should be proud of.

Meet Stevie Kilgour, Facilities Team Leader at the University of Leeds. He works on maintaining the campus and supporting annual events held at the University.

Describe your job in a couple of sentences

Stevie Kilgour: “I am the Facilities Team Leader so I manage a team of 18 Facilities Assistants. We work across the whole campus, maintaining building access and teaching spaces. We also support events including; graduation ceremonies, open days and the International Medieval Conference.”

Tell us about a current project

“At any one time we have a whole host of events and duties going on. We don’t necessarily work with one project at a time we work from 7am till 10pm on anything and everything across campus.

“One interesting event we are working to support is the Leeds Barn Boot Camp which is part of the Leeds 2023 Year of Culture programme.

“We also recently worked with Times Higher – Digital Universities UK event in the Esther Simpson Building which played host to many keynote speakers from leading higher education, industry leaders.

“In January 2023, we enjoyed hosting Kate Middleton on her recent visit to our University.”

What aspects of your work do you think are the most important to people at the University (staff/students)?

Our work is centred on the people who make this University great – the students and staff. We have their best interests and security at the centre of everything we do. Without them here we would not be needed. To work alongside great staff and see students excel over the time is a great thing to be part of.

Safety, knowledge, trust and passion to maintain the reputation of the University and the service are what drives me.

What do you like most about your job?

The scope of the job. We work across campus and in every building. We meet so many people and no two days are quiet. It can be office-based a lot of the time but ultimately we are an operational service and getting around our beautiful campus (especially in the summer) is essential to the service and a blessing. The Grounds and Gardens team are amazing here.

Tell us about a project you are particularly proud of.

No single project as all, have their own challenges and merits. However, every year we support open days and see new students arrive with their families, and the nervous excitement of the challenge ahead in their faces. Then later on we see them graduate – grown, strong and proud of the journey they have been on and that they are now Leeds Alumni.

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Did you know we have blue plaques across the University campus?

There have been many influential people who have attended or worked at the University of Leeds since its earliest days. The Blue Plaques across campus highlight special achievements and celebrate those who have helped to shape our history and heritage.

Leeds Civic Trust has been installing blue plaques across the city since 1987, commemorating people, events and buildings.

Esther Simpson OBE (1903 – 1996)

Born in Little London, this University of Leeds graduate became the Assistant Secretary of the Academic Assistance Council in 1933. Over the following decades, she dedicated herself to saving hundreds of refugee scholars from persecution and death, including sixteen future Nobel Laureates.

Live at Leeds

The University Refectory has become a legendary concert venue. On 14 February 1970, The Who’s electrifying performance at this venue was recorded and subsequently released as ‘Live at Leeds’, which has since become the most celebrated live album of its time.

Fanny Passavant (1849 – 1944)

In 1884, this individual was appointed as the Librarian of the Yorkshire College, and when the University of Leeds was established in 1904, she became its first librarian. Under her direction, the library experienced significant growth and was initially situated at the same location. By the time of her retirement in 1919, the library’s collection had expanded to include 80,000 volumes.

Sir William Bragg (1862 – 1942)

The Cavendish Professor of Physics at the University of Leeds from 1909 to 1915, developed the first x-ray spectrometer and was a pioneering figure in the x-ray analysis of crystal structures. Along with his son, Sir Lawrence Bragg, he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1915.

Sir Clifford Allbutt (1836 – 1925)

From 1872 to 1881, he had served as a physician at the Leeds General Infirmary from 1865 to 1884 and later became the Regius Professor of Physic at Cambridge. He is most famous for inventing the short-stemmed clinical thermometer and for revising ‘The System of Medicine’, which was considered the authoritative text for doctors at the time.

The Yorkshire College

Constructed in 1879 with the generous assistance of the Clothworkers’ Company, these buildings served as the first dedicated premises of the Yorkshire College, which had been established in 1874. They housed the weaving and dyeing sheds, as well as the museum of the Textile Department. In 1904, the College was granted university status and became the University of Leeds.

Fairbairn House

The blue plaque at Fairbairn House commemorates the life and achievements of William Fairbairn, who was a prominent engineer and played a significant role in the industrial revolution. Queen Victoria stayed in the Fairbairn House in 1858, where she also came to open the town hall.

Check out the locations of the plaques on the Leeds Civic Trust website. Find out more about campus by following @uolcampusreimagined