A new construction project to accommodate the School of Architecture and aspects of the E3 research project commences today (29^th June 2020).

Unlike other campus building projects, the new modular extension for Architecture will be constructed off-site. It will be delivered and installed by Premier Modular Ltd who were recently awarded the contract as part of the University’s tender process. The building will accommodate 48 studio spaces, equipped with high-tech audio-visual technology and state-of-the-art teaching equipment.

The project was initiated in 2019 and the work will be carried out in two stages. First, alterations to the existing Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts (LICA) building in the coming weeks will create new CAD studios for Architecture and the rest of LICA, a new workshop facility for Design and Architecture, and a high-tech Visualisation Lab for E3. Then, the purpose-built modular studio for Architecture 1^st and 2^nd year students will be installed ahead of the first cohort of architecture students, arriving in October.

The new spaces will primarily support teaching and research activities as part of the School. Some existing facilities will also be utilised by the new course.

The Visualisation Lab is part-funded by the Expanding Excellence in England fund (E3). Last year the University was awarded funding to embark upon the ‘Beyond Imagination Project’, a three-year project aimed at exploring how cutting-edge design can create a more prosperous world. The University recruited 30 new academic researchers as a direct result of the project, and they will also benefit from the new facilities.

The offsite constructed building will be connected to the existing LICA building on North Campus, adjacent to the pond, and will utilise space that currently offers charging points for electric vehicles.

The charging points will be relocated to various points on campus as part of the project, in line with the University’s policy and commitment to its Sustainability Travel Plan.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of September 2020. For more information visit lancaster.ac.uk/facilities/estates.