University’s Development Plan

University’s Development Plan • Overview of the University • Context for Development Plans • The Design Process • The Implications for the City • The Challenge

Overview of the University History • Founded in 1984, two years after a British Government review of higher education in Northern Ireland. • A merger of New University of Ulster in Coleraine, Ulster Polytechnic in Jordanstown, Belfast College of Art and Magee College in Derry-Londonderry. • Immediately successful in terms of student demand.

Overview of the University Facts and Figures • Has grown from 11,000 students over 27 years to 25,000 full and part-time students across all four campuses. • Employs over 3,000 staff with an annual turnover of $327 million (£200 million). • Has six faculties across its campuses – Life and Health Sciences, Arts, Computing and Engineering, Social Sciences, Art, Design and Built Environment, Ulster Business School. • Is a major contributor to the Research and Development capacity within Northern Ireland, with 16 Research Institutes supporting local business and industry.

Overview of the University Facts and Figures • Proved its research excellence in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise – 45th out of 132 institutions with Biomedical Sciences, Nursing and Celtic Studies finishing in the top three UK-wide in the respective subject areas. • Prepares its graduates for work with professionally accredited courses – Chartered Institute for Management Accountants, National Council for the Training of Journalists. • Promotes technology and knowledge transfer and the commercial exploitation of ideas through its Office of Innovation • Has shown a real commitment to widening access to higher education – leading the way with lifelong learning, eLearning and schools initiatives. • Boasts 140,000 alumni in 121 countries. • Hosts students from 80 countries.

Chancellor of the University

Honorary Doctors

Context of Development Plans Two Principal Driving Forces: • The University’s Corporate Plan (2006/7 to 2010/11) • The 2006 DEL-commissioned Independent Review of the Physical Estate across the whole higher education sector

Context of Development Plans Greater Belfast Development Plan • Independent Review of Physical Estate conducted by JM Consulting identified main Jordanstown building was reaching end of economic life and would be difficult to renovate. • Report also commissioned by the university reinforced this finding and the university began to focus on expansion of Belfast campus, purchasing a number of sites in York Street. • Greater Belfast Development Plan envisages a rebalancing of student numbers between Jordanstown and Belfast – with most of the existing activity in Jordanstown moving to York Street and Jordanstown developing further into Ireland’s leading sports campus.

Context of Development Plans

The Design Process • After design competition, University appointed London and Bath based firm FieldenCleggBradley to work on the concept of the new campus. • University acquired buildings around the existing city centre campus – footprint equivalent to the Victoria Square development in the city. • Vice Chancellor, Professor Richard Barnett wanted a campus which reflected the University’s philosophy of an institution open to all, without iron gates or walls. • FieldenCleggBradley team, led by Sam Tyler, has focussed on creating a development which draws upon the dramatic landscape of Belfast and the surrounding countryside and the historic streets of Belfast.

The Design Process

Royal Avenue Donegall St The Georgian Grid & Victorian Grid The two main city grids intersect at the GBD Site Belfast City Grids

Heading Concept Diagram connecting city grid to landscape Belfast - Landscape & City

Concept Sketches Sketch Building Section ( North / South ) – Showing key circulation & main internal /external spaces Greater Belfast Development

Concept Sketches Sketch Building Section – ( East / West ) Greater Belfast Development

The Implications for the City • The University is relocating the bulk of the activity on its largest campus, Jordanstown to Belfast city centre. • During the course of a full day that will mean 14,000 people – 12,500 students and 1,500 staff – will be using the facility every day. • They will be studying in a world class 21st century educational facility. • The new Belfast campus will offer an opportunity to reconnect the city centre with communities to the north, west, east and south. • Linking in with other developments in the Cathedral Quarter, Harbour and Titanic Quarter, the development offers an opportunity to regenerate, reshape and re-imagine the city in terms of the way it does business, its cultural and tourism offering, its transport links.

The Challenge • Working with Regional and City Government • Developing and marketing the Learning City • Nurturing talent • Reaching out to and including Communities • Maximising Commercial and Cultural Opportunities • Delivering the Right Transport Links • Reclaiming the Streets, Open Space and Going Back to the Future • Connecting with the world

University’s Development Plan