Latest news from Loughborough University

9 Dec 2015

Campus teaching hub nearing completion

Image for illustrative purposes only

A £3million project to create new teaching space on campus is nearing completion.

The West Park Teaching Hub will be located in the former Ford College building.

Inside the building there will be five tiered lecture theatres designed to support collaborative learning.  They range in size, with the largest having a capacity of 258.   The facility will also include two seminar rooms and a central learning and exhibition zone which can be used as two small areas or one large one.  A comprehensive range of audio visual equipment will be installed in the lecture spaces. 

Alongside the formal teaching space there will be an informal learning area with comfortable seating.  In addition there will be waiting areas with seating and a café.

Work has been underway since July to convert the existing building.  The project has involved a complete adaptation, reconfiguration and refurbishment of the internal layout.

Peter Goldsworthy, Project Manager from Facilities Management has overseen development of the project for the University.  He said, “The Henry Ford building is very recognisable externally and we were keen for the interior to be just as memorable.  It has been great to see the transformation over the last few months.”

Following completion of the construction work in early January internal fit out will commence.  The soft furnishings will include a range of contemporary, eye-catching and colourful designs.

Students can look forward to lectures and seminars in the new facility from semester two.  It will primarily be used by those Schools and Departments currently based at the West Park of campus, including Civil and Building; Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering and Physics.  The building will also be home to the Maths Learning Support Centre. Other support services may be accommodated in the building in due course.

Professor Morag Bell, Pro Vice Chancellor for Teaching comments: “The teaching hub will be an outstanding teaching and learning space. Development of the building forms part of an £25 million investment in a ‘student learning zone’ at the west end of campus. We remain committed to delivering the very best facilities for our students and staff.”

Notes for editors

Article reference number: December News

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Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named University of the Year in the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2015.Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. It was 2nd in the 2015 THE Student Experience Survey and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

In September 2015 the University opened an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. Loughborough University London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.