BU’s Estate: Investments and achievements

student centre

BU’s vision to create world class facilities for staff and students relies heavily of the development of our estate. During 2016 and especially over the summer, an exceptional amount of estates work was completed across both sites to ensure the continued advancement and improvement of BU.

Major works that have been completed include:

  • The main catering facilities have been relocated from Poole House to The Fusion Building, and now offer more choices for food and drink than ever before. Options include the 250-seat Fusion Restaurant on the ground floor, the Terrace Café on the second floor and the Fusion Café – a juice bar – on the third floor.
  • We have enhanced and relocated the Open Access Centre from Dorset House to the ground floor of Poole House to provide a more open, modern and accessible space with additional computers. This has also enabled us to demolish the old Open Access Centre to enhance the outside space and extend the University Street which will be used for outside events. This work is due to be completed in early October. To accommodate any students who wish to use the IT facilities, all floors in The Sir Michael Cobham Library at Talbot Campus will be open 24/7 from Monday 19 September until the new centre in Poole House is open. Studland House Open Access Centre will continue to be open 24/7 as usual. Please take a look at the libraries opening hours for full details.
  • The new UNIBUS contract which was launched in August, has fantastic benefits for students, including a more frequent timetable, the new morebus route 17 - which will travel between Talbot Campus, Winton and Bournemouth Station - wider access to the bus network, as well as brand new buses with free Wifi and USB charging points. The distinctive new bus fleet can be seen on the roads from Monday 26 September.
  • The Stevenson and Lawrence lecture theatres on Talbot Campus were refurbished and given a contemporary look with new wall murals in each room, by artist Mirek Lucan from South West Artwork.  
  • Nine properties, including 46 bedrooms, 9 shower rooms/toilets and 9  kitchens in the Student Village were refurbished, highlighting the continued investment into our accommodation.
  • The Faculty of Science & Technology’s Crime Scene facilities were relocated to the ground floor of Christchurch House. The newly vacated premises at 21 Lansdowne Road will be demolished as part of the wider Bournemouth Gateway development in Lansdowne.
  • Improvements to Bournemouth House in Lansdowne were made with the creation of a new seminar room (B339) in addition to a new Postgraduate research laboratory (B322).
  • The IT Field Service Team – originally based in PG90 – were relocated and can now be found in PG16 which is right next to the open access centre to improve access and visibility.

Our campuses will continue to expand and develop over the coming years and this is due mainly in part to the Gateway Developments, which are planned to open in 2019. This include:

  • A major investment in Lansdowne with the creation of the Bournemouth Gateway building, the biggest academic building we have ever developed, which will be the new home for Health & Social Sciences and the main university building for everyone using the Lansdowne site
  • A new building for Talbot that will house high profile activities for the Faculties of Media & Communication and Science & Technology. This development will also bring major improvements to the University infrastructure highlighted below.

Major works that will take place between now and Easter 2017 include:

  • Work on the new link road, bus hub and extension to car park H will begin at Easter. These works are all part of the new Poole Gateway Development. The new link road will be created off the Boundary Roundabout, provide two-way vehicular access to BU, AUB and Talbot Village and help alleviate pressure on the transport network. The bus hub will offer a new drop-off for BU buses to help relieve existing pressures on Fern Barrow and provide a safer environment for passengers. Buses will be routed through the campus from east to west, reducing pressures on Wallisdown Road and improving highway safety and help alleviate congestion. More information can be found on the Poole Gateway Development pages.
  • Decommissioning of Christchurch House Annex. The teaching facilities and office accommodation have already been relocated and once the Annex has been removed, the area will be used for car parking.
  • The Faculty of Management Sports Laboratories will be relocated from PG100/PG101 to PG60 in October.
  • New workshops and research facilities for the Faculty of Science & Technology will open in Poole House at Easter. The workshops will be moved from Tolpuddle House, which will eventually be demolished to make way for the new Poole Gateway Building.
  • A new journalism laboratory innovation space will open in Weymouth House for the Faculty of Media & Communication. The new area, which can be found in the old Wallace lecture theatre, will open in time for the US Elections in November.
  • The new staff and postgraduate researcher’s area on the ground floor of Poole House - which will be known as the Staff Centre – will replace the old Refectory and open in late October.

All of these works allow us to continue our vision to create a university with world-class facilities for staff, students and members of the community. Together with the modernisation and repurposing of current areas, the opening of new buildings and plans for the future Gateway developments, BU is evolving into a modern, greener and more user-friendly campus.