URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK The University of Liverpool - Urbed

The Mathematics Building by Bryan Westwood, 1959The former Royal Infirmary by Alfred Waterhouse in 1890 The new Bio-science building completed in 20041:1 - IntroductionThe aim of this study is to assist development of an estate strategy for theUniversity of Liverpool that can guide future investment decisions and betterintegrate the University with its surrounding context.In recent years Liverpool, along with the othercore English cities, has embarked on a dynamicperiod of investment and resurgence, oftencharacterised as the ‘urban renaissance’. Thishas been driven in no small part by the majoreducational and learning institutions, that haveallowed these cities to attract students, staffand significant investment. Universities havebecome major economic generators spinningoff businesses and attracting investment forresearch and development. They have also addedto the vitality and cultural diversity of citiesmaking them much more interesting and excitingplaces.In turn the big metropolitan universities havebenefited from the transformed image and newfound pulling power of their host cities. Studentswant to study in exciting cities and universitiesin the big cities have found it easier to attractstudents and also to retain them after graduation.With its location at the very heart of Merseyside’smetropolitan city-region, the University ofLiverpool’s campus should be perfectly positionedto both benefit from and contribute to thisrenewed civic energy.Unfortunately, with some notable exceptions,the buildings and spaces of the campus do notat present rise to this challenge. They neitherprovide a fitting setting for the University’s worldclassacademic status nor do they integratethe life of the University with the life of the city.This, we believe, is because of a confusion inthe approach to the planning of the University inthe past, that has alternated between trying tocreate a ‘campus’ environment and seeking todeveloping an ‘Urban’ University and done neithervery well.The Estates Strategy being undertaken bythe University to direct a multi-million poundtransformation of the campus is a goodopportunity to address these issues. TheUniversity has commissioned URBED (Urbanism,Environment, Design) to develop a newmasterplan for the University. This documentis the result of this commission and includesa detailed analysis of the physical fabric of theUniversity and its property requirements. This isdeveloped into a three dimensional vision for theUniversity and a phased programme of works toachieve this.The University Sports Centre, one of the best modern University buildings - designed in 1963 by Sir Dennys Lasdun