Page 6 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2023

GENERAL NEWS

Hawkshead Campus developments

Dr Jo Payne, Operational Interface Manager

he start of the year was marked be displaying him alongside the Stubbs the ground floor with a new entrance
by a flurry of activity getting the painting in the SLC atrium later in the lobby and enlarged reception areas and
new Student Learning Centre year. For the first time at Hawkshead we café spaces.
T(SLC) ready for occupation. have a large, airy and light-filled indoor The refurbishment of the two upper floors
There were weekly readiness and space with an adjacent garden room, of Eclipse is also well underway. Once
countdown meetings to attend along ideal for RVC events or just sheltering on finished this will provide bright, modern
with commissioning and witnessing of all a wet day. office accommodation, hotdesking areas
the mechanical and electrical systems. Behind Eclipse the landscaped courtyard and breakout spaces for colleagues
There was new furniture and audio-visual is almost finished and will have extensive who are currently based in the Kalanisi
equipment to install and finally, in mid- use. With extensive planting, seating, building and the temporary offices next to
April, the architects declared the building bike stores and charging points for the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals.
ready to occupy.
electric vehicles, this is far more than just
We set up a temporary campus another car park. The space allocation project is almost
concluded and furniture will soon be
reception in the new atrium until the Once most teaching was finished for the on order, so we are just waiting on
improvement works to the west entrance year, the final moves into the SLC were handover of the upgraded spaces
are complete. Our decision to re-use the the teaching labs, which went live for before we can start moving everyone
existing Teaching and Research centre our visiting summer school students at across in the new year.
(TaRC) reception desk proved something the end of July. With the microscopy and
of a challenge. It was considerably harder microbiology moved out of Mill Reef, that I don’t expect anyone will be sad to see
to dismantle than we had anticipated space can now be used as a dedicated the back of Kalanisi.
and, in the end, we had to wheel it, in its dissection room. Elsewhere on campus, the wildflower mini-
entirety, around the campus. I’m still not meadows we planted last year sprang into
sure how we managed it. It has been truly rewarding to see our life. The statue of Sefton looked particularly
students making use of all the fantastic
In a little over two weeks, we had new facilities – the private seating booths spectacular appearing from the froth of
relocated all staff and student-facing and group study rooms have proved cowslips and yarrow – I’ve lost count of the
functions out of the Eclipse building incredibly popular. When final exams were number of colleagues and visitors that I’ve
(the library, academic registry and approaching there was rarely a free seat in seen taking his photo as they pass by.
social learning space) along with all the the building, and since the new term has It’s been a long journey – certainly longer
executive and secretariat from the front of started the lecture theatre and directed than we had planned for – and we’ve all
TaRC. For most people this represented learning rooms are in constant use. faced our fair share of challenges and
a temporary relocation whilst we finished disruption along the way, but nothing
the last phases of the project. With the front of TaRC and the lower worthwhile is ever easy. At last, we can
portion of Eclipse vacated, our main
We even packed off the skeleton contractor has been working through look forward to our students, staff and
of Eclipse to a conservator for safe the summer to link the two buildings on visitors benefiting from this investment
keeping and a little light repair. We will for many years to come.

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