The changing face of a local University

[.... 23]

For anyone who is interested in what our city centre's great off-white behemoth of Nottingham Trent University's Newton Building looks like inside since it's refurbishment. This was written almost a year ago as term time was just beginning. These days I mainly work for the 'other one' at the University of Nottingham's Jubilee campus (where Raleigh used to be) which would easily stand a few nice pics of it's own. A quite outstanding environment in which to work.

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http://stuartfrew.wo.../17/early-term/

Early Term

It’s mid-October and the golden leaves are now falling steadily, swirling around and sweeping the streets. It’s a time when energy levels can be depressed but often need to be heightened, as in the case of the many people within my working environment at a local University. For October is a time of enormous activity in any such organisation.

The city centre campus is inevitably teeming with bodies and droves of hopeful and excitable young students, many on their first sojourn from home, pouring along Shakespeare Street and Goldsmith Street. Books and satchels in hand, hopes and fears for the future in heart.

Today as I write it is very sleepy in student land. An 8.15am stroll from the Victoria Centre bus depot sees surprisingly few people or traffic, an unusual scene for the middle of a sizeable city such as Nottingham. It’s a Thursday morning and every Wednesday night is a discount student night in some nightclubs in the city which might offer an explanation for the sluggish and rheumy eyed beginning to the day. By the time I emerge from a lecture mid-morning it will be a different academic world.

The University has seen many recent changes and as I walk around the lower levels of the city-dominating tower of the Newton building it strikes me that I’m standing on the very spot that I did more than thirty years ago. In those days it was in my first incarnation as a student studying Letter Assembly for my job as an apprentice compositor in the print trade. The plush surroundings I’m observing now where once a car park where I would kick through with my friends for morning coffee in the refectory.

The Arkwright Building from Shakespeare Street

There really is little comparison with the environs of the Trent Polytechnic of the 1970s and the modern Nottingham Trent University of today with it’s freshly appointed ambiance borne of huge investment, very few similarities apart from geography. The Newton building has been gutted and refurbished and so has the historic but slightly run down Arkwright building of my teens. Sadly the building where I was based in the composing room is no longer and has been razed to the ground in aid of progress and a seemingly little-used courtyard.

Newton Building interior

In those days Trent Polytechnic was largely inhabited by local students who were industrially-based in regular jobs, there appeared to be very few lofty academics in evidence and even people wearing white laboratory coats appeared to consider themselves a superior breed to us printing apprentices in those days. As I look around today there are many overseas students from China, Thailand, Korea and many other far-flung countries surrounding me. It is an interesting and vibrant panorama and this is perhaps just as things should be in the Autumn of 2010. It is however still an interesting comparison with those long days passed of enrolling in 1975 and stepping out of ‘Trent Poly’ in 1980 to face a new decade and the full-time world of work.

[bamber 128]

The Newton Building was part of Thomas Howitt's (the architect of the Council House) post-war master-plan to develop a civic way running from Burton Street along the alignment of North Sherwood Street. If it had been built it would have been quite spectacular.

[BulwellBrian 107]

When I first studied there it was the Nottingham & District Technical College, Then it became the Nottingham Regional College of Technology, Then the Trent Polytechnic.

I studied first for a National Certificate in Chemistry, later for a Diploma in Management Studies.

[mick2me 3,033]

Ive done a couple of lectures at Nottingham Trent Clifton Campus

I was very impressed with their layout and equipment.

One of our members works in the department where I lectured students.

[.... 23]

Bamber - I had no idea about that plan for the city. that could have been tremendous. Easy to imagine it there.

Mick - I did my undergrad degree at the Clifton campus and have worked there at various times. It's another part of the university that's changing its face with much development over the past few years. The latest move is that new halls for the students are being built.

Perhaps the most significant new development on the city centre will be the new 'student village' proposed for Shakespeare Street. I think that will have quite a far-reaching effect on that side of the city.

[mick2me 3,033]

I am on a 2 day workshop there in a couple of weeks

[.... 23]

What's the workshop about Mick?

[Beefsteak 305]

Sawing, hammering, screwing, dove tails and planing. (It's a carpentry workshop.)

[mick2me 3,033]

What's the workshop about Mick?

How to set up and use Cloud Computing Services

Practical hands on labs, on how to implement and manage your online applications and data.

How to review and implement effective security practices in order to protect your critical data.

Topical Eh?

[.... 23]

Interesting stuff. Assume you might be working in the fairly recently built (at a cost of around £8m) Computing and Informatics building? A nice facility.

[Notts Explorer 4]

I love the Newton Building and it looks even more impressive (particularly internally) since the refurbishment.

Jubilee is certainly an interesting site. I live just around the corner and usually have a walk through it at least once a week. I like the eclectic range of buildings and the fact that the neighbourhood still retains (for now) one or two elements from its past - the John Player warehouses, for example. I've always thought, though, that the area around the lake has a very melancholy feel to it, particularly in autumn and winter.

It all makes for a worthwhile visit - I think a lot of people don't even realise that the public are allowed to walk through the campus.

[.... 23]

Interesting comments NE, thanks. The atrium in the Newton building is certainly impressive. The building inside has attracted some criticism as to the way it is used, i.e. not in the most practical fashion with acres of purposely-kept empty spaces. There are also arguably a lack of facilities for the staff and students using it, particularly in the evenings, compared to similar environments in other universities.

Every day that I drive into the Jubilee campus I am reminded of the former glory days of Raleigh and old Nottingham - even with the few remaining vestiges that you describe. I'm sure that contributes to the slightly melancholy feeling you describe. Perhaps many of the current inhabitants will never understand that though for obvious reasons. It an interesting dichotomy between old and new Nottingham - thousands of men trooping along Triumph Road turning out of the old Raleigh works at knocking off time versus a modern well-to-do university and research establishment

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

thousands of men trooping along Triumph Road turning out of the old Raleigh works at knocking off time

And you can still see what that used to look like......A few months ago I got the recently reissued DVD of "Saturday Night Sunday Morning", and there's plenty of shots of Raleigh workers along Triumph Road in the early 60s. And obviously a lot of other views of Nottingham in those days.

slightly melancholy feeling . Perhaps many of the current inhabitants will never understand that though for obvious reasons.

When the world was full of push-bikes, cobble stones, flat caps, permanent fag-in-mouth, women with vertical hair styles, and those macs which nobody ever wears now

[bamber 128]

The buildings at the Jubilee Campus are depressingly cheap. And I wonder what was going through their heads when they commissioned the "thing". It's not even illuminated at night.

[.... 23]

I'm not sure how cheaply the Jubilee Campus buildings were built. It's one of the very most pleasant environments I've ever worked in though. I like the fact they used a brownfield site to build it too. A few things about it from their website blurb:

Awards

The environmentally-friendly nature of the campus and its buildings have been a big factor in the awards that it has received, including:

• the Millennium Marque Award for Environmental Excellence
  
• the British Construction Industry Building Project of the Year
  
• the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Journal Sustainability Award
  
• the Civic Trust Award for Sustainability
  
• Lord Mayor's Award for Urban Design
  

The Jubilee Campus also won international praise with the Energy Globe Award

Sustainability

Built on a site that previously had industrial use, Jubilee Campus is an exemplar of brownfield regeneration and has impeccable green credentials.

An important feature of the campus is the series of lakes which, as well as being home to a variety of wildlife, provide storm water attenuation and cooling for the buildings.

Less visible - but equally important to the sustainable and environmental credentials of the campus – are the:

• roofs covered by low-growing alpine plants which help insulate and maintain steady temperatures within the buildings throughout the year
  
• heat recovery mechanical ventilation systems
  
• lighting sensors to reduce energy consumption
  
• photovoltaic cells integrated into the atrium roofs
  
• lake source heating and cooling systems
  
• biomass boiler installation
  
• maximised use of passive ventilation engineering
  

[rob237 89]

My impression, from the many positive postings, is that it would be a very interesting building to visit, when next in the area.

Seemingly the exact opposite of the Weekday Cross external eyesore that was recently discussed.

Is one able merely to wander around, without creating security issues?

On a much smaller scale, recently paid visits to the quite superb Park House Medical Centre on Burton Road, Carlton.

Beautifully spacious design and greatly enhanced by a predominant glazed roof.

Cheers

Robt P.

[.... 23]

Unfortunately both university campus' buildings are only accessible by staff or student swipe card Rob. You can wander freely around the exterior at the Jubilee Campus however, by the lake and water features etc.

Probably the best bet is to pop in during one of the various open days that are announced online. Failing that, meet me and I'll take you on a little tour through the Newton Building!

[lfashion2011 0]

I am doing my MA now

[mick2me 3,033]

I am currently studying at D*rby College Roundhouse.

Very impressive conversion of Railway sheds and turntable.

[hippo girl 1,995]

Unfortunately both university campus' buildings are only accessible by staff or student swipe card Rob. You can wander freely around the exterior at the Jubilee Campus however, by the lake and water features etc.

Probably the best bet is to pop in during one of the various open days that are announced online. Failing that, meet me and I'll take you on a little tour through the Newton Building!

[hippo girl 1,995]

One of the best university campus I have been on.....thought Nottingham and Cambridge were something else but the jubilee campus is very futuristic......a pleasant place to study and be educated