Terry Farrell & Partners - Offices Development - Manchester, Victoria University and UMIST

Date: 11 Sep 2003

A masterplanning team led by Terry Farrell & Partners has been selected from a strong shortlist for Project Unity - the merger of the Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST. The combined universities will have a student body in excess of 30,000, with over 6,700 staff. The academic structure involves 180 University departments, which are to be re-organised into 4 coherent faculties.

Spread over two disparate campuses, the city centre estate comprises over 600,000 square metres of accommodation on 55 hectares and includes most types of university facilities; heavy scientific labs, medical schools, specialist research facilities, humanities, arts and teaching buildings, together with residential and student service complexes. The building stock ranges from 1880’s, Alfred Waterhouse designed, Grade II* listed ceremonial halls through problematic 1960s buildings to modern business schools.

The challenge of the project lies in achieving the principles and benefits of ‘co-location’, i.e. planning a coherent and attractive new university, within the budget of £285m. A new masterplan for the University, an estate strategy and a detailed implementation plan will be produced by December 2003, after an extensive and comprehensive consultation programme.

Project Unity

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