Manchester University redevelopments!

[Farsight]

The built environment always matters Jongie. It's important to create a beautiful place where people want to be. Most of us would agree that a beautiful place has spaces and greenery, with a rich mixture of old stone and mirrorglass that balances heritage and wow-factor 21st Century modernity. The devil is, as always, in the detail. As an aside, I think the Manchester Metropolitan University have done a nice job on their John Dalton building:

http://www.skmconsulting.com/Markets...Two_Europe.htm

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ew...ianway/12.html

Does anybody know if MMU is what the University of Manchester mean by a non-authentic university?

[Jongeman]

The built environment does matter, of course (especially to someone who contributes to a forum like this), but not significantly in terms of Manchester University trying to position itself in the world's top 25. That was my point.

I don't believe for a minute that Manchester will find itself slipping down the ranks to the top 250 just on the basis of not pleasing everyone in its building development decisions. No chance.

I can't find a reference to a non-authentic university. If they do mean MMU, that's a bit arrogant.

[dgnr8]

I don't think that pic is that old Jonge. The Portland tower's throwing me off a bit but the Umist school of business building thingy majig by the swimming pool and Royal College Of Music on Oxford Road (yellow crane nearest the camera). That went up sometime around 99 I think. Plus the carpark for the swimming pool on Upper Brook Street (grey/pink thing to the right) is almost complete.

[Jongeman]

Just a sec dgnr8, let's have another look....

oh aye, that's the carpark on Upper Brook St. Maybe the sun's doing wonders for Portland....)

[Jongeman]

Originally Posted by dgnr8

You harp on as if they're also reverting back to bloody blackboards, chalk and the birch.

There's nothing wrong with a good birching. I was birched regularly and often voluntarily and it never did me a scrap of harm

[SleepyOne]

The built environment is incredibly important - which is why the university is spending a lot of money improving it both architecturally and in terms of their facilities.

Lots of demolition work going on at the front of the Royal Northern College of Music at the moment to build their new extension. So another piece of ugly brutality is consigned to history, thank to goodness.

Great pics of MIB, highriser. Lets hope all Project Unity buildings achieve the same standards.

[EarlyBird]

Bye bye Maths tower...

[caw123]

The MID yesterday, it's fantastic!

[Farsight]

Hmmn. That veil of glass looks faddy, and there's a lot there to get corroded or dirty or covered in pigeonshit. I'm not sure it will stand the test of time.

[Jerv]

Hummnpf. Prey tell of these ghost pidgeons that can fly through solid glass?

[Bim]

Originally Posted by Jerv

Hummnpf. Prey tell of these ghost pidgeons that can fly through solid glass?

LOL...was thinking something along the lines of this too!

[Farsight]

It looks like they can get in at the sides. That's until somebody puts up some ugly wire mesh. Then you can strike out pigeonshit and replace with pigeonbrains.

[SleepyOne]

Appointing the finger
23 September 2005


Sheppard Robson has won planning permission for a £25 million new building for The University of Manchester. The new building, to be known as AMPPS, will bring together the university’s astronomy, mathematics, physics and photon science departments.

The 17,000sq m building is made up of three finger shapes clad in zinc to create a dramatic facade on Upper Brook Street.

The mathematics and astronomy fingers are linked by a glass walkway suspended above a four-storey atrium, while an over-sailing roof links the three fingers and provides space for solar panels.

Seems odd that they are recreating suspended walkways again - a folly that I thought went out with the 60s. Quite a radical building. Looks like its been influenced by the Civil Justice Centre somewhat and the uni deserve credit for not commisioning something polite and conservative. The public realm looks great and I love the idea of the public walkway connecting Upper Brook St with Oxford Road that runs through this building. Interesting to see how it turns out.

[SleepyOne]

Please can somebody post an image of the new Humanities building? I cant find one anywhere and dont remember seeing one.

[Farsight]

Maybe this is it?



I thought the AMPSS building was going to cost £50m?

http://www.metronews.co.uk/news/arti...niversity.html

[andysimo123]

I went to the Manchester Uni open day today. The new buildings are very impressive. I also saw some teenager taking pics on Oxford road. It wasnt you was it caw?

[caw123]

Nope.

[jrb]

Mixed news on university dropouts

FIRST year students at Manchester University are only half as likely as undergraduates elsewhere to quit their degree course, according to new figures.

The university has a drop-out rate of only 4 per cent – while the national average is 8 per cent.

However, at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), the drop-out rate is 11 per cent.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency also says almost a quarter of first year students enrolling at MMU in 2003 will not complete their degree courses if their projected drop-out figures for students starting their degrees in 2003 are correct.

The projected figures for students starting in 2003/2004 say 8 per cent of Manchester University students and 20 per cent at MMU will fail to graduate in 2006 because of lack of money, exam failure or personal reasons – compared with a 14 per cent national average.

Students starting courses next year will have to pay top-up fees of £3,000, prompting fears that working class students will struggle to afford it.

University drop-out rates include the total percentage of people who enrol on a degree course and quit without transferring to another one.

An MMU spokesman said: “Drop-out rates have increased slightly because of the personal circumstances of our students. The figures show that MMU is in the top 30 universities for proportion of students who come from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

“Ten per cent (of those said to have dropped out) re-enrol within two years, so it would be wrong to infer that people are not satisfied with the university.

In a survey conducted by MORI, 38 per cent of students strongly agreed that MMU has greatly enhanced their career prospects, compared with 28 per cent for all universities.”

A spokesman for Manchester University said: “We are never comfortable with drop out figures because we know they can always be improved, but the numbers for us are pleasing.

“We like to think we actively listen to the students, get them involved and make them feel part of the university, and this number reflects that.

“We know that if people drop out it’s generally going to happen early on, and we have procedures in place to help prevent drop-outs like counselling services and course advisors who can help students.”

MMU takes more working class students than its big city rival, according to data released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

The university is a popular destination for working class undergraduates – 94 per cent of its students come from state schools while only 79 per cent of Manchester University students are from them.

Manchester University enrols more than 30,000 students each year. The university defended its record on working class recruitment by saying almost four in five students come from state schools – in line with government targets.

Students who get past the first year almost always leave higher education with a degree even if it a “pass” degree, the lowest mark available.

[Manchester Planner]

Go University of Manchester!

[SleepyOne]

An Aidan showing progress on the site of the AMPPS on Upper Brook St with the Maths tower's slow demise in the background.




Looking really quite forlorn here. I feel sorry for this building in a strange kind of way. That said the new Student and Nursing building will improve the campus no end.