Tecom Group has been chosen by the University of Birmingham to build the second phase of its campus in Dubai International Academic City (DIAC). As part of the agreement that the two signed, Tecom will build a new purpose-built 50,000m² campus. Designed by Hopkins Architects, the facilities will be located
New spaces for students, staff and the local community have been opened at the University of Birmingham after the transformation work carried out at an area of parkland. The Green Heart project, located at the historic Edgbaston campus, was delivered by Willmott Dixon. “It has been fantastic to have been part
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Tecom Group has been chosen by the University of Birmingham to build the second phase of its campus in Dubai International Academic City (DIAC). As part of the agreement that the two signed, Tecom will build a new purpose-built 50,000m² campus. Designed by Hopkins Architects, the facilities will be located opposite the city’s first custom-designed student housing community and provide an academic home for up to 2,900 students. “This innovative and iconic facility has been designed to echo our beautiful and historic Edgbaston campus, whilst providing a flexible, modern setting for our students in Dubai to obtain maximum benefit from our teaching and research expertise,” said University of Birmingham principal and vice-chancellor Professor David Eastwood. Created to encourage collaboration across all academic disciplines, the campus to be built by Tecom will feature flexible learning spaces and formal teaching spaces. It will also feature a student ‘hub’, sheltered courtyards and social spaces, a 300-seat lecture theatre, a similarly sized auditorium, three laboratories to accommodate 200 students, and seminar and tutorial rooms. “The bespoke campus, which is set to be complete in 2021, is a testament to the innovative ecosystem that is needed to meet the demands of the rapidly changing international student landscape. As our vibrant community continues to expand, we are committed to supporting our academic partners and collaborating with top academic institutions in order to fulfil global demand for quality international higher education,” added DIAC and Dubai Knowledge Park managing director Mohammad Abdullah.
New spaces for students, staff and the local community have been opened at the University of Birmingham after the transformation work carried out at an area of parkland. The Green Heart project, located at the historic Edgbaston campus, was delivered by Willmott Dixon. “It has been fantastic to have been part of the team creating this stunning parkland for the University of Birmingham and its local communities to use. University of Birmingham is exceedingly forward-thinking in terms of deliverable and sustainable technology and the implementation of the Pavegen system in particular is a real step forward. I’m excited for the Green Heart Festival later in the year, where we’ll celebrate our joint vision for the space coming to life, with students, staff and communities enjoying the space to its full potential,” said Nick Gibb, director of Willmott Dixon in the Midlands. The renovation works have delivered spaces for performances and events, markets, a café and bar, and dedicated areas for art and sculptures. Willmott Dixon has also installed a Pavegen walkway that generates data and off-grid electricity for USB charging point benches. This way, the Green Heart has comprehensive WiFi coverage and digital information totems. In addition, the project has also restored historic walkways as envisaged in the University’s original design from the early 1900s. “We are proud to play our part in this fantastic development, embracing design and the latest technology to provide a unique environment for the University of Birmingham community,” commented Pavegen CEO and founder, Laurence Kemball-Cook. “The Pavegen walkway provides a versatile platform that converts users’ footfall into off-grid energy to power local applications – we are monitoring it via a cloud-based platform.” The Green Heart was designed by Churchman Landscape Architects, with support from Associated Architects. A weekend-long event will be held in June 2019 to celebrate the official launch of the area.
