The University of Otago is using international consultants to
help research and prepare campus master plans to guide
development of the university's campuses in Dunedin,
Christchurch and Wellington.
The respective plans aim to establish a "cohesive framework"
to guide new initiatives and ensure the campuses remained
outstanding environments for students and staff, organisers
said.
Specialists from international learning and environment
consultants DEGW will discuss the future of learning and
research environments, and potential links with the Otago
plans, at a public lecture this week.
As part of extensive consultation in developing the plans,
Andrew Harrison, DEGW UK's global director of learning and
research, and Steven Smith, the firm's director of
architecture and urbanism, will give the lecture, titled
"Exploring the Future University", at 6.30pm tomorrow, at the
university's St David Lecture Theatre.
Vice-chancellor Prof David Skegg will introduce the lecture,
which will be followed by a question and answer session, with
the audience invited to comment.
Organisers said the University of Otago had been evolving
since the 1870s, when the first purpose-built buildings had
been constructed on the Dunedin site.
Two major plans, completed in 1972 and 1980, had subsequently
guided the growth of the Dunedin campus over the past 30
years.
"However, much has changed at the university in this time and
an updated campus master plan is now urgently required,"
organisers said.
The university's Christchurch and Wellington campuses were
established during the 1970s, on the grounds of Christchurch
and Wellington Hospitals.
Since then, the university's activities had grown
significantly both within and around these sites, and a
master plan was now required to guide future development and
"ensure that facilities continue to enable world-class
teaching and research", organisers said.
The campus master plan would prioritise investments in land,
buildings, infrastructure and landscaping that supported new
developments and met the university's sustainability goals.
A framework for long-term development and high-quality design
would be created.
Consultants from Dunedin firm Architectural Ecology, New
Zealand consultancy e Cubed Building Workshop, and
international specialists from Space Syntax will also be
involved.
University executives and other leaders, staff members,
students, and the community will be consulted, with the plans
submitted to the university's governing council next January.
The Dunedin City Council would also be closely involved to
ensure the plan delivered benefits to the wider Dunedin area,
organisers said.
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