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University of Bolton

Design Studio Project

Background and Context

 

Start and End dates

 

It has been open since summer 2003 and the project took 18 months to complete.

 

Case Study tags: learning spaces, refurbishment, university of bolton, north-west englandhigher education

 

What was the context of the development?

 

The building was in a bad state of repair. It had been built in the early 1960s. There were problems with the steel infrastructure to the concrete and the decision was made that Bolton could have something that was worthwhile and they wanted to use the space in a different way because of the change in courses, students. Design is a big feature at Bolton both in the art and design area and in the product design/engineering area. Bolton thought that the re-configured building would be an excellent space for these design activities. Partly about updating existing and adding additional software and partly about creating additional space in a number of areas, particularly Graphics and Illustration/Animation. Bolton has been getting a significant increase in students in these disciplines over the last few years. It is one of the University's aims over the next 18 months to move all activities on to one campus and focus on the one campus.

 

Prior to the building work Graphics and Animation were based at Bolton's other campus (Chadwick) which is going to close. The project saw the beginning of the process of consolidating everything and bringing it all on to one campus.

 

Type of project

 

The Project has aspects of both a new build and a refurbishment. The building was originally 8 storeys and the top five floors were removed. The remaining three floors were reconfigured and made into the Design Studio - the inside is now completely different to how it looked originally. This was done as it made economical sense - it was cheaper to reduce and renovate the original building than to knock it down and re-build.

 

What is it?

 

It is an exciting space architecturally. It combines studios and other areas for design activity. The required functional aspects have been woven into an interesting and innovative space. The university is proud of the design details featured in the building.

 

'Green' aspects

 

'Lawn on the roof - it's quite difficult to grow grass in Bolton because it's so wet - it's probably easier to grow rice!!!' They've installed a lawn because it's a bit quirky and it adds to the green aspects of the campus. The eLaB and Microelectronics areas open out on to the Lawn and it was the original intention that there should be some events held there, this has not happened yet but there is potential for this to happen in the future.

 

Conservation was addressed in terms of heating and ventilating the building - they tried to get as much natural flow-through (of hot or cold air depending on the season) as possible (supplemented by some fans within the system) and the atrium helps with this. It doesn't take too much energy to push the air around. The architect has endeavoured to create an energy efficient building.

 

The lighting used is low power lighting; it doesn't consume huge amounts of energy.

 

Ground Floor

 

The ground floor houses the main university reception area which is the main focal point. There's been a lot of landscaping and as the building faces the town (the campus is right in the heart of Bolton) the reception area is the main welcoming point for students coming from the rail and bus stations.

 

Also on the ground floor there is a very large atrium area (3 storeys high) that can be used for display. The area has a very large projection screen (two storeys high) with a powerful projector - this is not working to its best potential currently but it is the intention that it will be used to display work by students and by artists from the local community. They did have some print facilities in there, including a continuous textile jet printer and large transfer printer but these have now been re-located as the intention is to use the ground floor atrium space as a social learning space. Recently this area has been looking quite sanitised and the creativity and design activities of the Design Studio are needed to be re-emphasised in this area - hence the vision of a permanent display area. It will be wireless networked, refreshments will be available to students (discussions are ongoing re refreshments being available via a staffed cafê area or vending machines). Students will be able to sit on comfortable seating and talk casually whilst working on laptops. This will be one of three social learning spaces available on campus that the University is about to create (due for completion this academic year: 2006-2007).

 

The Atrium

 

The atrium takes up a huge amount of space and some might say that it's dead space to some extent but it makes a statement, it's interesting. The people involved in the project were conscious that whilst the practicalities were important they did not want to build just another functional building - they wanted to create some interest.

The whole building has to produce the outputs required of it by the community it works alongside.

 

First Floor

 

On the first floor there are walkways connecting through the atrium. There is a large open plan design studio with approx 70-75 PCs in there plus Macs. Also there is a PC lab on that floor for more formal class-based activities - demonstrations, etc. All work areas have got data projection and other associated technical facilities installed.

Next floor: two Mac labs for Graphics and Animation and a visualisation area where students can work on activities such as story-boarding - this area does not have so many PCs in it.

 

Top Floor

 

On the top floor - part of the roof is flat - with a grass lawn on it! The grass is part of a general approach by the University to maintain as much green space as possible in the campus, which is situated in the centre of a bustling town. The roof has another construction on it that houses the eLaB people and the Microelectronic design people - so there are a few more work areas up there. Adjacent to the Design Studio there are two rapi-prototyping units in the 3D modelling unit. There are a few meeting areas in the Design Studio that are often used for business meetings as there is a lot of liaison with companies in the product design area. One of the meeting rooms is set up for video conferencing and there is a small presentation area adjacent to the Design Studio for demonstration which can then lead to break outs into workshop activity. The views from the top floor are quite spectacular - the surrounding moors can be seen clearly.

 

What happens in the space?

 

Computer-based activity

 

There is a large amount of computer based work that takes place in the building. There are two laboratories that support the Graphics, Animation and Illustration programmes in Arts and Design. There is a very large open area for studio based CAD design - all design students are welcome to use this space but in reality it is usually used by Architectural Technology, Product Design and Engineering students. This comprises most of one floor, it is a big open space and is zoned off into mini little networks and students come in there for open access and workshop type activity with staff on hand. Activities often take place there simultaneously. There is a rapid prototyping unit adjacent to the Design Studio that allows us to create models for a variety of different purposes. On the top floor there is a microelectronics design laboratory facility. This is something that Bolton has done for quite a few years now - supporting the use of microelectronics in industry and has been a hub for this sort of activity for a number of years. Also on the top floor there is e-LaB (e-Learning at Bolton). E-LaB designs (in a pedagogical sense) web-based learning materials and supports the Web-CT virtual learning environment.

 

External and Community work

 

The Design Studio is used quite extensively for external and community work - for instance at the time of the case study interview the atrium was hosting an exhibition produced as a result of an artist in residence in a local primary school. This is a modelling exhibition and the primary school children and their parents and school governors have visited the Design Studio to see their work on display. The Creative Industries Project Manager (Rebecca Allbrow) liaises with companies, organisations and groups of artists and invites them into the Design Studio either to see the space or give presentations. Maintaining a role for the Design studio in the local community is seen as key. One of the greatest challenges, linked to ERDF funding, is achieving the outputs which are based on assisting businesses in the North West to thrive by helping them to recruit new staff (job creation), helping them to retain existing staff by providing them with CPD and also improving their sales and productivity. More than half of the students at Bolton are part-time, including in the Design area, so this means that a lot of staff are being developed already and being supported by their companies in terms of fee paying, etc. Also with full-time students they've tried, in the product design area, to structure the timetabling so that students can take up real-life project briefs to assist companies. This has meant that there has been a move from the traditional two semester modules to a module delivery that is predicated upon short blocks running throughout the year leaving gaps between for students to work on extended projects. As projects come in they are matched up to individuals or groups of students who can work on them.

 

Projects for Industry

 

The University has appointed two research assistants to work full-time on projects for industry to encourage a better flow through of work. This is undertaken through an ERDF project which offers a Product Development Service to SMEs within the North West. To date over 13 companies have been assisted in this way, including the developers of the i-teddy concept, recently featured on TV's Dragon's Den.

 

Funding Sources

 

Approximately £1.7m came from European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Some money from HEFCE poor estates fund and the rest was paid by University of Bolton.

 

Cost of Project

 

Project cost £6.3m (this includes cost of demolishing parts of original building).

 

Technology

 

The software is industry-led. Most machines are PCs although two labs are Macs - these are loaded with latest Graphics and Animation software. The PCs are loaded with different CAD packages and packages linked to product design and engineering and architectural packages for architectural technologists/construction students. The machines are intended for use on design based activities rather than internet surfing type activity. There are other parts of the campus where internet activity is generally more encouraged. Students are given information on the specialist packages and where they can be accessed as part of their induction process. They will also be used to working on the packages as a result of being introduced to/using them in more formal sessions with a lecturer.

 

/>A computer management system has been purchased and is about to be implemented. Activities are a mix of formal classes, informal classes and drop-in work so it is important that machines are made accessible to students as and when they are available. The management system will monitor the use of every machine. Students will need to log on and log off either as a group or as individuals. This is done elsewhere on campus in the Learning Support Unit. There are screens in the Learning Support Unit that can flag up machines that are available. In time the computer management system will allow the student to build up preferences. Students from other disciplines do drop in to the building because it's such a nice space - however, the use of the computer management system will help ensure that students who require the specialist software are given priority access to the machines.

 

Adding Value

 

Much of the activity in the space is based around technology assisted design so the technology adds value throughout. It's all about realising the designs using the software packages available. This is done alongside some story boarding, concept development and sketching.

On the first floor the large open area with PCs has also got three or four areas with break out tables where students can get together and talk things through. It was originally part of the library so the space has floor to ceiling glass (two storeys high) and is very light and airy - but this can cause problems with the subsequent light contamination (sunlight and glare) - screens have had to be installed. Artificial lighting in this area comprises down lights in the ceiling and directional lighting in work areas. Students may initially conceptualise on paper but they tend to get on the machines very quickly and start putting their designs down electronically. In some cases, for example Graphics, the whole course is based around the use of technology so it is essential that students become quickly adept at using it.

Basically without technology the whole thing would collapse - it's vital! New artificial lighting was installed throughout the building - the building was a shell after the initial demolition and re-building. So the interior had to be re-designed and re-configured from scratch. The outer windows largely stayed the same, with a small number of exceptions but generally it was a case of new lighting, heating, etc.

 

The large open area can be linked into three different networks so there could be a workshop activity and two other areas having open access activity all simultaneously.

 

Success Factors

 

What Makes The Space Successful?

 

The large number of students using it.

 

The flexibility is important - students can drop in and use equipment and can handle whole range of activities from formal to informal activities and workshops.

 

The overall ambience is great - it's a very pleasant building to work in - students appreciate that and, in the main, have been quite respectful of it. There has been very little abuse to date. Staff and students together are enjoying it.

 

A client group was created to identify snags along the way after the building was completed - there were not too many problems and these are now resolved.

 

An assessment for HEFCE on the value of the build and the contribution it has made is to be produced.

 

What Is Innovative About The Design And The Use Of The Space?

 

From the outset it was imperative that the building made a statement from a Design perspective - so that it went beyond a functional building and was actually a source of inspiration to the students.

 

It has its quirky features. It has a projection screen that's two storeys high, made up of lots of glass panes in a framework. The idea for the screen came from a theatre trip made by the architect - the theatre had a large projection screen adjacent to an external glass wall to allow the theatre to promote itself within the community. The original idea was that the building would be a beacon at night to all those around it - and people outside would be able to see the screen as it lit up the dark - but there are issues with this - re: how bright it has to be to be really effective and the view of the screen from outside is broken up by the floor divisions. In practice it's likely that the screen will be of more value to users inside the building - giving them design perspectives. It is essentially a shop window for design work.

 

Top Tips

 

Communication is key. It is really useful to have staff and students involved throughout the process. This has meant that the specification was developed correctly.

 

There should be extensive and regular meetings with the architects. The architects had worked on another project on campus so there was already a 'feel' for how things worked. It also gave a level of expectation of what could be done. The Estates Department drove this communication throughout the project. The positive approach to communication and subsequent excellent relationship with the architect and others meant that there was never a 'them and us' mentality - it helped nurture a team feeling throughout.

 

Lessons Learned

 

Staff and students should have been fully prepared on the need to engage with local businesses and the community prior to the completion of the building, so that strategies could be developed and the outcomes required from the ERDF funding could start to be achieved straight away. Everyone is now working very hard to achieve the set targets within the project timeframe.

 

Bolton are in the middle of designing a new part of the campus called the Innovation Factory and lessons learned on this project are feeding through to that one - the building hasn't been completed yet but they are already taking to staff about the types of outcomes they need to achieve at the end. It would have been easier in the Design Studio if everyone had been made aware well in advance of what the new building would have to do for the community.

 

The large projection screen has experienced some problems and has not always worked as well as would have been liked but there is general support for it - it will work as required but it will need a little more financial investment made on it.

 

There is a large mesh screen that has been installed that looks excellent but doesn't really perform any real function and is difficult to clean - it was an architectural design feature that works from a decorative standpoint but has practical downsides.

 

Post Occupancy: Changes Made As A Result Of Feedback

 

HEFCE requires best practice evaluation of new builds - to monitor how well the poor estates money has been spent, what students and staff think about the space and how it's met targets. A small group has been convened to work on this evaluation and feedback exercise. It is hoped to produce a pro-forma to guide the process.

 

The Client Group (made up of tutors and course leaders from the departments using the space) is about to be re-convened and user perceptions of the space will be discussed there - their feedback on how the building is working. Students will be involved in the overall evaluation exercise and there will also be community input.

 

The Client Group has generally been involved in the snagging process at the completion of the building. Also, prior to and during the build the Client Group drew up the specifications, identifying what was required in all the areas in terms of kit, furniture, etc.

 

Feedback so far has generally been very good.

 

Contact Details

 

Mike Lomas, Head of Collaborative Partnerships and Employer Engagement, M.lomas@bolton.ac.uk
Andy Smith, Business Development Manager, Design Studio, A.Smith@bolton.ac.uk

 

Case study written 2006/07.