The contemporary three storey building has a wow factor that makes it one of the best in the business, and is packed with facilities that are already being appreciated by both students and staff.
The latest development on Edge Hill’s cutting-edge campus includes a lecture theatre, teaching rooms with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, IT laboratories with extensive PC and Mac provision and peripherals such as webcams, scanners and the latest Macromedia software.
It will house around 1,000 Business, Law and Criminology students within five years and for those studying Law and Criminology in particular, the opening of the building has been a watershed. It is the first time since the course was established in 2004 that all students and staff have been under the same roof.
Head of Law and Criminology, Franco Rizutto, said: “I think the new building is excellent and quite clearly provides both our staff and students with first-class facilities. We were housed in a collection of different buildings before, so this is a very welcome transition.
“In terms of making our courses more attractive to students, it will do no harm at all. It is a very clear demonstration of how the University is investing in business and law and potential students will be impressed by the facilities we offer.
“Obviously, when it comes to choosing a university, the quality of teaching and research is what impresses most, but this new facility gives out all the right messages.”
Law students now have their own law-specific library within the new building and, for the first time, have access to a 100-seat ‘moot’ room, which is a mock-up of a courtroom.
The building will quickly become a landmark on the campus and many ‘green’ features have been incorporated. There are solar collectors on the roof to supply domestic hot water and support the under-floor heating system, with any ‘waste’ heat directed towards the nearby swimming pool. Instead of energy-hungry air conditioning, the building is naturally ventilated, enabling its carbon footprint to be reduced. A roof garden and atrium are other attractive features.
Catering for the Business School’s expanding number of degree courses, the facility will encourage closer connections with businesses in the future.
John Vaughan, Director of the Business School, said: “The past year has seen some significant developments; for example, the revalidation of our core undergraduate Business and Management degree allowed us to make improvements and add to student choice. We also validated a suite of postgraduate courses in Computing and Business which meant we could enter the international markets. We continue to invest in new staff and the new building is a very visible symbol of the level of change.”
