Infrastructure

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The University recognised our Units ambition and innovation, providing significant investment (£7m) for the creation of our new, purpose-built building which was completed in 2018 and supports the realisation of our research and impact strategy. It is an award winning, state-of-the-art facility providing an outstanding research and learning community environment for all staff and students at the heart of the city centre campus.

Our building was designed to create a community hub for more than 1,200 students and members of staff, enabling them to innovate, learn and research together. To encourage collaborative working, the building houses a mixture of research spaces, including four-seater soundproof booths, configurable IT labs, UXD labs, an animation lab, two computer network labs, academic offices, collaborative spaces, generic labs and breakout areas that allow informal collaborations and networking. In tandem with the expertise provided by business development managers, these spaces and their smart infrastructure support the unit’s staff in the development of impact. The building is also used as a ‘living lab’ research resource where data from smart sensors are used to inform new generations of offices and homes.