University of Bolton, Design Studio Project
| Contact Details: | Mike Lomas, Head of Collaborative Partnerships and Employer Engagement, M.lomas@bolton.ac.uk Andy Smith, Business Development Manager, Design Studio, A.Smith@bolton.ac.uk |
| Type of Project: |
The Project has aspects of both a new build and a refurbishment. The building was originally 8 storeys and the top five floors were removed. The remaining three floors were reconfigured and made into the Design Studio - the inside is now completely different to how it looked originally. This was done as it made economical sense - it was cheaper to reduce and renovate the original building than to knock it down and re-build. |
| Start/End Date: | It has been open since summer 2003 and the project took 18 months to complete. |
What Are Your Top Tips..
...For a successful new build? For embedding IT? For installing technology?
Communication is key. It is really useful to have staff and students involved throughout the process. This has meant that the specification was developed correctly.
There should be extensive and regular meetings with the architects. The architects had worked on another project on campus so there was already a 'feel' for how things worked. It also gave a level of expectation of what could be done. The Estates Department drove this communication throughout the project. The positive approach to communication and subsequent excellent relationship with the architect and others meant that there was never a 'them and us' mentality - it helped nurture a team feeling throughout.
