Sustainable Campus
A core objective of the Campus Development Plan is the development of a modern, sustainable, healthy and living campus. This will be achieved through a number of approaches.
Built Environment
Accommodation for at least 5,000 students will be provided on campus within the next five years. This will help create a more dynamic and active campus during non-teaching hours.The development of additional non-academic, commercial, educational and cultural amenities will facilitate a more holistic living campus and better integration with the local community. The Gateway Project, located at the N11 bridge entrance, is central to the achievement of this objective.
Space Management
Space management is an essential element in resource management, providing an opportunity for greater utilisation of space, reducing recurrent operational costs and providing appropriate solutions to client accommodation programmes. It is also about using standards and benchmarks and planning models to measure how well space is being used and to plan for future needs.
The projected University development and substantial growth in research activity on the Belfield campus has generated a requirement for a space allocation policy. Space norms can be used to support the development of University Space Policy, processes and procedures, and are based on the needs of teaching, research and student activities. The formulation of appropriate space norms through benchmarking space allocation against other institutions at an International level has been implemented.
Transportation
Public bus transportation is the dominant mode of access to the Campus for its 25,000 daily users. In the short to medium-term this will be improved by providing a new purpose built bus terminus linked to the new gateway entrance plaza.Surface car parking will be replaced by multi-storey parking structures at strategic locations to provide a more sustainable use of campus lands. The development of a coherent and safe network of cycle paths will also help offset the use of and dependency on cars.
A new planned landscape to the perimeter, significantly improving the existing woodland environment and will provide a 6KM running track
(Click for enlarged image)
Environment
The landscaping strategy envisaged in the Plan will enhance the bio-diversity of the Campus. The trees planted along the boundaries of the original estates of the 18th and 19th centuries are still visible to this day and contribute significantly to the amenity value of the Campus and broader environs. The preservation and enhancement of the specimen trees and landscaping created during this period is crucial to maintaining the character of the Campus. These woodlands will be consolidated to form a 6km Campus Perimeter Woodland, which will be developed as a jogging, cycle and walking track.
Collecting and using surface water, as an integral landscape element, will further underpin the sustainable campus agenda.
