Academic construction - University of Birmingham campus redevelopment update

There has been rapid and significant progress on the campus development works at the University of Birmingham since my last update noting the developments in July, Chamberlain Hall construction July 2014 update.

The developments, a new library, Library central to campus, and new sports centre, Campus clears way for 21st Century future for University of Birmingham, are beginning to make their mark on the campus with the steel framework of the new sports centre showing the scale of the building and the ambition of the University of Birmingham.

October 17 saw the second crane at the library construction erected and now the formwork for the concrete floors of the  building being poured as the building will start to rise.

The photos below show the site on 26 November.












While the library construction is growing the university's ebook library collection has started to grow with the donation of 7000 e-books by alumni Professor Kok Khoo Phua and Doreen Liu, founders of Asia's largest international scientific publishing company, http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2014/11/singapore-alumni-major-gift.aspx

More updates on the library construction can be found on their blog: http://uobnewlibrary.wordpress.com




Further across the campus by the Bristol Road construction work on the new sports centre is most noticeable by the steelwork being erected.  The steelwork is forming the reception and main entrance and is one of a number of big boxes which the design of the building uses to convey the variety of functions within, sports hall, car park and swimming pool and breaks up the mass of the building, http://www.bdonline.co.uk/university-of-birmingham-sports-centre-by-lifschutz-davidson-sandilands/5067235.article

The Bristol Road frontage will feature a civic colonnade in front of the glazed swimming pool acting as the public face of the building.








A plan of the ground floor is reproduced below from: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Journals/2014/03/13/y/j/v/UoB-ground-floor-plan.pdf




The photos below show the construction site on 26 November.













While construction of the new sports centre is still ongoing the university has launched a Name of the Game campaign to name the new gym within the sports centre after one of three sporting heroes, paralympian swimmer Ellie Simmons, test cricketer Gladstone Small and World Ironman Champion Chrissie Wellington, http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/building/sports-centre/name-of-the-game/index.aspx

Further along the Bristol Road and down the A38 Aston Webb boulevard, Birmingham City Council planners are set to approve the university's plans for a new 178 bedroom hall of residence adjacent to the Grange Road entrance to the campus, http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/next-phase-300m-university-birmingham-8167063  

The new halls would be split across 34 shared apartments in the five to seven storey building.  Outline planning permission for the university's entire redevelopment scheme was granted last year as part of a hybrid application.  The new hall of residence would sit adjacent to the recently built private student residences, Selly Oak New Road student flats, and across from the university's Jarratt Hall extension, Selly Oak Student blocks.

Images of the new hall of residence are reproduced below.







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