Fresh ideas needed to help rationalise University estates through refurbishment programmes

Stubborn academics who object to giving up their offices are among the toughest challenge’s university managers face when trying to refurbish their estates, our event has heard.

Facilities managers for both of Plymouth’s universities, said that they are utilising new ways to convince colleagues to vacate their old offices and embrace new ways of working as part of any new space management plans and refurbishment programmes.

John Bailey, Director of Estates at Plymouth Marjon University, said: “When I was at the University of London we did a huge activity based refurbishment of Senate House. The project was so successful and looked so good that a lot of our academics who were still in their cellular offices came out and started using the spaces for themselves. Any rationalisation plan will be a balance of showing them what they could have.”
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Relocation of staff can be among the most confrontational aspects of refurbishment of universities, with many architects, surveyors and contractors engaging in length consultations with staff over any moves.

Lucy Black, Head of Facilities & Student Accommodation at the University of Plymouth, said: “We need to optimise the way we use space in our campus, we are starting work reviewing the use of our space and that includes office space for academics. It’s the place you don’t go, but we are going to be going there, so I assume we’ll be having some discussions on that.”

She added: “This is something I have done in other sectors previously and it’s a challenge wherever you do it. We’re clear that refurbishment can’t be an estates and facilities-led exercise, it needs to be led from across directorate and most senior level in the organisation. Estates can’t be seen to be forcing academics out of their spaces. We will be gathering data, as that is important for having a research basis for what you are doing and have good practice. Equally important is looking at occupancy rates.”

Both universities are taking a fresh look at their estates and how they can enhance the interaction between their campuses and the natural environment of Dartmoor and the sea, as well as making better use of space.

Mr Bailey said that Marjon University, which relocated to Plymouth from west London in the 1970s, is aiming for a zero-carbon estates programme and to enhance the opportunities both academic and commercial from its buildings in the near future, with a brief to bid on a new master plan due to be launched in the summer.

Bailey said: “We have all of these enormous empty rooms. Space utilisation was appalling at the university. We do absolutely nothing in terms of commercial revenue (with the estates), we have some wonderful spaces with beautiful views. There is a really big opportunity to make much more out of the campus which hasn’t been exploited yet.”

“I’m really keen to make it zero or low carbon, we’re going to be looking at replicating some of the ideas we looked at in London universities at Marjon. If you are keen on low energy, passivhaus or zero-carbon buildings I’m very interested in speaking with you. Also, we would like to be making much better use of the landscape, the campus is built around the motor vehicle. It has a moat of parking around it. There is going to be some major landscaping works to really bring to campus to lie and make the most of the assets that we have such as Dartmoor and the sea.”

The University of Plymouth is also engaging with a modernisation programme at its estate including a review of space. Black said: “As part of first stages of a longer-term masterplan, we’re intending to have a new engineering and design facility, which is going to be built alongside an existing building, that will enable us to demolish an old 60s workshop building and create some green space in the campus. It will be disruptive, but will enable us to have a fantastic new engineering and design facility.”

Ms Black told how the University of Plymouth was working closely with the council to bring new facilities to an area close to the train station. She said: “Anyone who’s been to Plymouth by train knows that the arrival leaves something to be desired, you come out looking at a pretty grotty car park and have no idea how to get into the city itself. We’ve been working with city council colleagues to make a much better arrival into Plymouth both for the city and ourselves.”

“The town block at the station is a building we’re looking at to refurbish and repurpose for university use. It will be the first stage of changing what that entrance to the city can be and give us a presence as people arrive and make a much better access point. The challenge is how we do this and the space optimisation as well as delivering a go-do experience for students.”
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