University expansion wins architectural excellence award
Posted on 23 May 2011
The design brief for the University expansion was prepared with input from the University of York, the architects BDP, planning consultants O’Neill Associates, and road and traffic consultants Aecom. It outlines the University’s long-term vision for the design of Heslington East, creating architectural consistency in the development of the new campus.
The University of York is regularly ranked in the top 100 universities world-wide for teaching and research, and it is therefore vital that our space and facilities are of the highest standard
Elizabeth Heaps
Judges praised the University’s landscape strategy which, rather than being dominated by highways and parking, “focuses on the human scale movement of people through a carefully considered set of vistas, routes, edges and shortcuts”.
They also praised the fact that buildings are arranged around a series of distinct and intimately scaled landscape spaces, which are connected by pedestrian and cycle routes.
The 65-hectare campus extension, which is based on a combination of public and private funding, including support from the European Regional Development Fund, will eventually result in an increase in total student numbers to 15,400 as well as creating up to 2,000 new jobs. It is making a massive social, economic, educational and cultural contribution, both locally and nationally.
The RIBA award was presented at a special awards ceremony in Manchester attended by the University of York’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Estates and Strategic Projects Elizabeth Heaps, Stephen Hill and Richard McDowell, the project’s architects from BDP, and Janet O’Neill from O’Neill Associates.
BDP is also celebrating retaining its place as the top architecture practice in the UK after being placed first in the AJ100 – a league table of the top 100 architectural practices in the UK.
Elizabeth Heaps said: “The University of York is regularly ranked in the top 100 universities world-wide for teaching and research, and it is therefore vital that our space and facilities are of the highest standard. We were particularly pleased with the judges’ praise of the rich variety of spaces, places and buildings which they felt were creating a vibrant community for students, teachers and industry.”
The £200 million first phase of the development at Heslington East opened in October 2010 and includes new accommodation for the Departments of Computer Science and Theatre, Film and Television and the York Law and Management Schools, as well as Goodricke College and the Ron Cooke Hub. The second phase plans include the relocation of Langwith College and a new Sports Village, both due to open in 2012.
Notes to editors:
- For further information on the Heslington East campus expansion, visit www.york.ac.uk/campus-development/
- Yorkshire
and The Humber ERDF Programme 2007-2013
The regional ERDF Programme, approved in December 2007 was launched in February 2008. The programme is managed by Yorkshire Forward on behalf of a regional partnership including the National Government, European Commission and Regional bodies. The programme provides €583 million from the European Regional Development Fund to invest in the region’s economic development by 2013 with €271m for South Yorkshire and €312m for the rest of the region. South Yorkshire has extra resources to help with its transition from its earlier Objective 1 status. Further information about the ERDF Programme in Yorkshire and The Humber is available at www.yorkshire-forward.com/erdf - European
Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was set up in 1975 to stimulate economic development in less prosperous regions of the European Union (EU) and to act as a significant instrument with which the EU can support its Cohesion Policy. As EU membership has grown, ERDF has developed into a major instrument for helping to redress regional imbalances. The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) manages ERDF in England. Between 2007 and 2013, England benefits from an investment of €3.2 billion (approx £2.5 bn) of ERDF. It is delivered by regional programmes in each English region, managed by the Regional Development Agency. England also receives €177 million ERDF for two national cross-border co-operation programmes with France, Flanders and the Netherlands and another €193.8 million is available to the United Kingdom for participating in three trans-national co-operation programmes across the North West Europe, North Sea and Atlantic areas. ERDF is directed at projects offering substantial benefits which meet the needs of an area and would not take place without a grant. It is used to provide help towards the project costs with grants set at a minimum level required to allow the project to go ahead. As a general rule, however, the EU contributes no more than 50% of the eligible cost with the rest of the funding, known as ‘match funding’ coming from other public sources. Information about the European Union’s support for regional policy, including ERDF is available at www.ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.htm
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