News and Events
Pioneering new 'green' Business School planned
MMU is investing 65 million in a new Business School and student Learning Exchange. A site at All Saints is being cleared for the massive new building which designers say is at the "forefront of green development" in the city.
In a highly original concept, three towers will sit under a single glass roof, separated by two atria or arcades. The jewel-shaped building has glazed facades which refract colours that react to the changing patterns of the sun and daylight.
Professor Huw Morris, Dean of MMU Business School, said: "Not only will this development look fantastic, it promises to be a very intelligent blend of leisure space and learning space which suits modern learners in a digital age. The sustainable features will place the building at the forefront of green building development in Manchester."
Solar panels on the large south-facing roof and ground source heat pumps will generate power for the building which is designed to let in the maximum amount of natural light. The building also recycles rain water and features an outdoor winter garden, as part of the Universitys commitment to renewable energy and the environment*.
Over 5,000 students
The 20,000 square metre structure will be home to over 5,000 students and 250 staff from MMU Business School, one of the most popular business schools in the UK and an important part of Manchesters financial and professional services sector.
Architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios have been appointed as designers for the School which will top eight storeys along the Mancunian Way and slope to four storeys at its entrance on Grosvenor Park.
Feilden Clegg Bradley, who have won the Building Design Award for Education Architects for the past two years, believe the design fits the new model of 21st century learner who effortlessly blends study with leisure and socialising – "an environment which nurtures the social and intellectual needs of Manchesters business students."
Building work will start in 2009 and be completed in 2011.
Updated – May 2008
- Fly Through The Student Hub [Video Clip, WMV, 6.4mb]
- Fly Through The Business School Atrium [Video Clip, WMV, 4.6mb]
Date Posted: 14 January, 2008