Ulster University has welcomed the appointment of McAdam Design as the Integrated Consultancy Team and AtkinsRealis as Consultant Project Management team for the Shared Island teaching block in Derry~Londonderry.
Sharing a glimpse of what designs for the teaching and student services building might look like with an artist's impression image, the University is marking the appointments as a step forward in its drive to expand higher education provision in the North West.
Announced in 2023, the €44.5 million investment by the Government of Ireland through the Shared Island Fund is supported by circa £7m of Ulster University reserves to construct the new block, which will be situated off the Northland Road adjacent to the library.
Providing additional lecture and seminar spaces, computer labs and other social areas, the building will contribute significantly to the campus capacity for teaching and research activity and builds on Ulster University’s commitment to Growth and Regeneration projects that deliver more students, jobs, and economic impact for the region.
This investment from the Government of Ireland reflects, in part, the teaching and research cooperation between Ulster University and Atlantic Technological University in Donegal, while also enabling the four North West Tertiary Education Cluster institutions to work more closely together, facilitating a more seamless offering of further and higher education in the region.
The next step in the process, a pre-application notice submitted to Derry City and Strabane District council, will be completed in due course.
Ulster University Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew said:
“I am delighted to welcome the appointment of the consultant teams whose role will be to undertake the planning, design and project management of the new Shared Island teaching block. This announcement marks another step forward in our commitment to campus expansion in Derry~Londonderry and widening access to higher education in the North West.
"While the design shared today is only an initial concept, it is exciting to be able to share the potential that exists for our new spaces in Derry~Londonderry. We know the new building will enhance what is an already thriving campus for health sciences, creative industries, computing, engineering, business and the arts and will promote a creative, innovative and vibrant environment that will inspire and add value to our core activities of teaching, learning, research and innovation.”