Extreme makeover: Transforming UNIC learning and teaching spaces

Having physical spaces designed for education can have far-reaching benefits for students, including encouraging collaboration and motivation.

Up until the end of 2015, University of Northampton International College made do in a building originally designed in the mid-1980’s as a conference centre. The decor was, in places, dated, dark and in some rooms uninviting and uninspiring. With enrolments projected to increase in the next two years, we needed to expand.

But the entire campus is moving with our partner university to a new location in 2018! This meant that our design concept with the University had to be value for money, transferrable and transportable to a new campus in under two year’s time. With a short lifespan and limited budget, the campus needed to be transformed using creative, strategic approaches.

Design principles

Flick through these slides to explore some reflections on the design principles behind the campus transformation:

Today our campus is almost unrecognisable, proving that you don’t always need a large budget to bring about transformational change. We’ve focused on ensuring UNIC is at the heart of our student’s experience as a social space, a home away from home and a stimulating and motivating environment to study, learn and succeed.

Virtual Tour

Enjoy the virtual tour and please feel welcome to continue the conversation with me on Yammer.

A longer version of this story appeared on UNIC’s Tumblr.

If you have a campus transformation or relocation to share, please get in touch!