Mace Group

It's not only students who feel the pressure of deadlines - estates directors know that if a project isn't delivered on time, the penalties can be severe. That's just one of the challenges facing those responsible for managing the renewal of a university estate, both enduring and new. They also have to engage with the many stakeholders throughout the institution and outside, meet the technical demands of the latest standards for sustainable buildings, and achieve more with a dwindling stream of funding. This means that driving greater efficiencies within new and existing buildings is a top priority, on two key areas - the use of space within buildings, and the amount of energy used to heat and cool them. Though universities in the UK enjoy considerably greater freedom from central government control than their counterparts in Europe and the US, they will have to demonstrate improvements on these priorities to ensure their funding.

Talking points:

• Can power-hungry buildings like laboratories meet BREEAM higher education standards?
• How can the construction process be managed to save energy, water and waste?
• What's the best way to engage with stakeholders throughout the university and outside?
• What extra demands should be factored into the construction programme?

Case study: Oxford University

Over the last five years, Mace Plus has worked with Oxford University on projects worth £100m, presenting many complex technical challenges. At the Classical and Byzantine Studies Centre, completed in 2006, the contractor refurbished an existing Grade II listed building, integrated a naturally ventilated three-storey extension, and excavated a new basement - all on a site constrained by a monastery and the Ashmolean museum. A year later, Mace Plus demolished two 1960s buildings at the Old Road Campus and built a £43m state of the art research facility. The technical challenges of the project meant negotiation and team working were very important.

To read the article in full, which includes an opinion piece provided by John Tonkiss, chief operating officer at Unite, please click on the icon on the right hand side of this page.