16/05/2008

Queen's Grand Design - £1m Design Studios Officially Opened

A major new £1 million suite of design studios has been unveiled at Queen's University.

The new resource is part of an overall development of facilities for students in the leading university’s School of Planning, Architecture, and Civil Engineering (SPACE).

Based in the David Keir Building, the new state-of-the-art studios will create greater opportunities for collaboration between students of architecture, civil engineering and planning.

Providing flexible bright accommodation for students to work on projects, store models and exhibit work for critique, the new studios will also allow them to organise work stations and furniture for either group working for individual endeavour.

Currently 1,000 students are enrolled on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in SPACE. The School provides graduates in many of the key professions associated with the Built Environment and has increased student numbers to meet demand from the industry.

Speaking at this week's opening, Professor Peter Gregson, Vice-Chancellor of Queen's, said: "Queens' students, as the architects, civil engineers and planners of tomorrow, have the potential to help shape the future and develop a more sustainable, prosperous and just society for everyone.

"The opening of these new studios demonstrates the University's commitment to the provision of an outstanding students experience in architecture, planning and civil engineering.

"This investment will ensure the continued supply of highly skilled graduates in professions which play a key role in supporting the Northern Ireland economy."

Professor David Cleland, Head of SPACE added: "Design is a key element of all three professions represented in SPACE. There is enormous benefit to be gained in students from different disciplines collaborating in a way that reflects how it happens in practice. The new facilities open the way for running exciting collaborative projects.

"Recent evidence of the excellent design skills possessed by our students is the award of first place to a second year student Sean McNeary by the Architects Association of Ireland."

The opening follows the School's recent hosting of the largest ever UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference.

Held in March, the event attracted delegates from across the globe and included key speakers such as Jonathan Porritt CBE, Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission.

(JM)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

16 August 2001
Northern Ireland pupils are in a class of their own
Northern Ireland students have outperformed their peers in England and Wales in both A-level and the new AS level exams. Figures released by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) on Thursday August 16 show a record 48,000 grades have been issued to Northern Ireland students across all exam boards.
07 March 2019
Student Mental Health Services Allocated £150k
Student mental health services in Belfast are set to benefit from a first of its kind pilot project worth £150,000.
12 December 2005
Interpretive designer selected for Giant's Causeway 'fit-out'
An interpretive designer has been selected to carry out the £2.7 million "fit-out" of the interpretive and education areas of the new Giant's Causeway Visitors' Centre.
20 August 2015
Rise In Number Of GCSE Students Achieving A*- C Grades
There has been a significant increase in the number of GCSE students achieving the A*- C grades. The proportion of entries awarded A* - C grades has risen by 0.7% this year to 78.7% Education Minister, John O'Dowd, congratulated the students and said they should be proud of all their hard work.
19 July 2004
Queen's welcomes overseas students
More than 50 overseas students arrived in Belfast at the weekend to take part in a three-week International Summer School at Queen's University. Now in its fourth year, the Summer School programme, entitled 'Ireland: Northern Perspectives', runs from 19 July to 6 August, and is coordinated by the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen's.