University of Nottingham

 

About the brand

The University of Nottingham is a pioneering institution providing an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding experience for 46,000 students from more than 150 countries. Built on the ethos that education can unlock potential and transform lives, it features in the top 20 of all three major UK university rankings, and its graduates are among the most sought-after in the UK.

The Challenge/Task

As part of both natural evolution and responding to a post-pandemic environment, the university is planning its future space requirements and would like any upgrading or new project work to use a planned approach in order to :

▷ Deliver a better and more consistent experience

▷ Make the project planning process both more efficient and more responsive

▷ Take the first step in aligning the facilities upgrade programme with that of IT AV

The University commissioned Pragma and sister company Benoy to develop a customised set of design guidelines as a starting point for a new approach for facilities works and maintenance.

WHAT WE DID

Through a series of engagements with various stakeholders including both academics and students a set of high-level guidelines was created through:

  • Engaging with the estates team and projects teams to understand what the existing spaces primary functions were, along with various engagements with user groups to determine how the design of those spaces impacted learning and teaching approaches. 4 basic space types were established with subspace types within them

  • Liaising with students and academics through a range of workshops to define a set of space types including two types of lecture spaces, three classroom types, two computer labs and six types of study spaces

  • Developing a framework to evaluate the metrics of impact of space on user experience by employing existing brand guidelines. We established a method to determine the space type to be applied by analysing the purpose, gathering user input and evaluating site context

  • Establishing a hierarchy of needs for users of the space that would act as a guide when determining how spaces should be minimally to optimally upgraded as the future renovation and new-build process rolled out

  • Breaking down the user experience into a four quadrant framework including what amenities, brand and wayfinding, environmental and activities defined each space type

  • Creating an ongoing living document and set of steps for management of the process going forward

The Result

The final document was a set of design guidelines that allowed the University to move to the next stage in its improvement works. Most importantly, the non-prescriptive document was co-designed and co-created with a variety of stakeholders. It allows designers, estates teams and other consultants to determine what space types are appropriate as well as how design should be undertaken for that space type. This was the first step in determining how to establish which spaces needed upgrading and to inform planning investment programmes to maintain and upgrade facilities in line with pedagogic demand.