Derwent D/056 and Vanbrugh V/044 refurbishment updates - we're almost live!

The works have been progressing at a pace and there’s lots to report.

D/056

Derwent’s new collaborative lecture/learning space is almost ready for use. In fact, we did use it at the University Open Days at the end of June!

The collaborative furniture is in place with a plug socket per occupant and plenty of space to both face forward and shuffle round to work in a group. We tried it out and loved it - we can’t wait to see what you think of it!

We hope the new seating will work really well for collaborative working as well as lectures

We’ve also installed new energy efficient air-handling system to tackle the room’s problems with ventilation/heating (your feedback told us it was either too hot and stuffy or too cold).

The new setup features a new 3 metre projection screen alongside the old teaching boards, which have been cleaned up and recycled. A new, larger lectern is in place at the front with all the standard spec for a lecture room and a visualiser (digital overhead projector) to replace the old OHP that has served the room well for some time! The room is also kitted out for the University’s Lecture Capture (Replay) system.

The new teaching equipment in position

We have some final touches and snags before the room is ready to be used by summer activity on campus, including some final accessibility issues to address and improvements we’d like to make to the external area outside, facing the pond and looking out on to the campus lake.

D/056 from the outside - featuring new windows and doors

V/044

Our full refurbishment of the seminar room at the heart of Vanbrugh College is also nearing completion. We recently spent some time selecting a new specification of seminar chair for campus (you can see these in the last Spring Lane working group update) and these should arrive for September. Meanwhile, things are starting to come together for the learning space which will feature:

• Fully replaced glazing and with full blackout (especially for Art Historians!)
• 3 metre central projection and renewed AV equipment for the room
• Full height ‘think’ wall down the side of the room - essentially a giant whiteboard!
• Bespoke tables and overhead lighting to match the table layout, fully dimmable
• Glazed lobby doors (with a curtain) to easily see if a class is taking place
• Improved ventilation system

We look forward to hearing what you think about the space once it’s finished!

Matt.

Derwent D/056 and Vanbrugh V/044 refurbishment updates

Better late than never!

That’s my way of apologising for the rather late blog post to say that the transformation work has commenced for both of these spaces - with a target completion date in June 2016! A quick shout out to our project manager, Marc Newsome, who is our internal star seeing these two spaces through to completion.

SDL Construction have been busy stripping the spaces back to their outer shell and starting work to implement the new designs. You can see the start of D/056’s new raised seating area below, and we will have more photos to whet your appetite soon.

Photo from 18 April

We have opted for a ‘Design and Build’ contract - utilising the outline designs that were consulted on through both the Learning Spaces Roadshows and the Learning Spaces Working Group. The aim is to deliver back:

• V/044 as a high-quality boardroom seminar, with full blackout facility, a large central projection screen (3 metres), new lighting, heating, power, carpets, glazed windows (and curtains/blinds), tables, chairs and entry doors. Our Interior Design company working on the project, Brazenose, are as passionate as us to deliver a high-quality learning environment.
• D/056 as a high quality small collaborative lecture room. This is our first truly collaborative room, with bench seating and collaboration tables for all members (with integrated power), new lighting, technology (large central projection and large boards), heating, power, carpet, glazed windows (and blinds), entry doors and new ventilation. For those of you who remember D/056 - we believe this space will be truly transformed and unrecognisable when we’re finished!

Watch this space!

Matt.

Your thoughts on V/N/044 and D/056

I thought it would be nice to share some statistics with you relating to some feedback we received after our surveys on V/N/044 and D/056. 

Over a week-long period, we emailed all users of the rooms, asking them to complete an online survey of their experience in the room on that day and give their feelings on our concept designs for the room.

D/056 (Derwent)

We want to replace the rows of traditional and worn-out tablet chairs with two levels of tiered seating and larger tables to aid a collaborative style of learning.

D/056 as it looks now

How it could look

Survey feedback

The pie charts show that our proposal is favourable compared to the current space, although it has raised some comments which we will take on board for the next stage of design.

V/N/044 (Vanbrugh)

Our concept design for V/N/044 keeps a similar table layout to the existing configuration, but introduces diagonal tables to create an open horseshoe shape.

V/N/044 as it looks now

Our proposed layout

Survey feedback

Again, the pie charts look positive, although we did have fewer respondents to this survey.

What next?

The refurbishment of these rooms is scheduled for after Easter and into the Summer Term, so there’s still time to have your say and help to shape these learning spaces. Just email your thoughts to learning-spaces@york.ac.uk.

Steve Jackson Learning Spaces Designer/Project Manager

Space Management

New Year, new update!

Welcome to 2016: a year that promises to be a challenging, but hugely positive for staff, students and University as a whole. 

Recently I was invited to attend the YUSU Academic Leadership meeting with Sarah Bacsich, one of our Estates Project Managers. Sarah presented an update and current proposals for Spring Lane Building, and I presented on the future of learning space across campus. 

We received really valuable feedback, particularly around the well-known dislike to certain types of tablet chair across campus which we will look at replacing as we roll through our refurbishment cycle. I will be giving a similar talk to the Taught Masters Special Interest Group later in the term.

What we’re working on

We have many projects to look forward to enhance our current learning spaces provision and also a large amount of work to complete before the main fit-outs begin in the summer. We are identifying the programme for the current estate we plan to redevelop, alongside tender preparations for the AV and furniture for the Spring Lane Building, Biology Phase 2 and a number of other rooms.

Other updates 

• The completion of the Spring Lane Building steelwork was marked with a ’topping out’ ceremony, attended by the Vice Chancellor and others. The steering group has now settled on final options for the building’s lecture theatre and the plans are being drawn up.
• The new Environment Building has been completed and occupied. Teaching is now taking place within the building, and the lecture theatre is due to be opened imminently.
• The fit-out for the new York Plasma Institute (YPI) extension was completed, adding a 70-seat fully equipped video conferencing lecture theatre and bringing YPI’s staff, students and post-doctoral researchers together under one roof.
• Consultation has begun on the new IPC Piazza Building. Although it’s not due for completion until 2017, we are pleased to be around the table this early in the process.
• The previously postponed V/N/044 and D/056 refurbishments are now rescheduled to take place after Easter and into the Summer Term as this will cause less disruption on the whole. We received some really useful feedback from our survey on these rooms, which I will share in my next blog post.

General comments and feedback are, as always, welcomed via our email learning-spaces@york.ac.uk. If you have any ideas or suggestions on how we could improve please feel free to drop us a line.

Steve Jackson

Learning Spaces Designer/Project Manager

Space Management

Autumn Term round-up

As we approached the end of 2016, we wanted to take the opportunity to update you on the various learning spaces projects under way.

Piazza Building stakeholder meeting

Last week representatives from the main Piazza Building contractor Interserve, Race Cottam Architects and various sub-contractors for mechanical and electrical works, heating, lighting and Building Management Systems (BMS) were brought together with University colleagues from Commercial Services, Information Services, Estates and Campus Services and academic departments.

Throughout the day we held workshops designed to build strong links between all external and internal parties, and work out how we can and will work together to ensure a successful programme of construction and fit out. We identified some key challenges - particularly that there is a lot of work to do in the short term!

This is the first time in recent years that so many teams have come together this early in the process to start identifying issues before they become problems further down the line. It’s fair to say that we all had varying priorities which we can now discuss honestly and openly.

During 2016 we will be consulting more widely with academic colleagues and students - including the new International Pathway College, Students’ Unions, Conferencing and current Heslington East-based departments - about the equipment and furniture to be installed in the seminar rooms and lecture theatre.

Spring Lane Building

Construction continues on the Spring Lane Building - visit our campus investment pages to see a new time-lapse video of the steelwork going up. We have a short workshop on chalk writing surfaces coming up later in the month! We’ll share more news and in-depth update in the New Year.

Focused estates investment

Unfortunately, following feedback and concerns about the knock-on effect on teaching, we have had to put the planned works in V/N044 and D/056 on hold. We will identify future opportunities to do the work and update you again in the New Year.

Can you help?

Have you seen some technology or furniture you would like to see in learning spaces here at York? Do you have a suggestion for improvements that we could make? As always, we would love to hear your thoughts - send your views to learning-spaces@york.ac.uk.

Season’s greetings from everyone in Space Management - we look forward to working with you in 2016!

Steve Jackson

Learning Spaces Designer/Project Manager

Flexible learning spaces: how do we do it?

At the first Learning Spaces Roadshow, many of you repeated the need for learning spaces to be flexible.  

Most teaching sessions require a mix of different activities: listening to a lecture, having a discussion in break-out groups, working on a PC, undertaking an activity in a small group, etc. 

There are many different ways in which this can be achieved, including furniture, mobile or distributed screens, additional writing surfaces, good storage for bags and coats, and power to each seat.

Over the Christmas holiday we will be completely rebuilding D/056, a small lecture theatre adjacent to the JCR in Derwent College. This project gives you a great opportunity to tell us what you want to try out.

We’re really keen to test cluster seating. Cluster seating is made up out of booths that each accommodate three to four students, provide full-sized writing surfaces and has distributed power sockets. It encourages students to bring mobile devices, and encourages them to work and think together.

We think cluster seating could encourage active and collaborative learning, and we’re really keen to hear what you think. Should we try this? How would you use such furniture? What do you think the advantages may be? Tell us on learning-spaces@york.ac.uk or talk to us in person at one of our upcoming Learning Spaces Roadshow events:

• Wednesday 25 November, 1.00-4.00pm, LFA/144, Harry Fairhurst Building
• Monday 30 November, 1.00-3.00pm, LFA/144, Harry Fairhurst Building