Welcome to the Spark

Welcome to THE SPARK

Introducing Southampton Solent’s groundbreaking new teaching and conference building

Welcome to East Park Terrace, Southampton Solent University’s main campus.

We have a lot of exciting things happening here, not least of which is the recent completion of our new £30 million Spark building at the north end of the campus.

Designed by Scott Brownrigg, constructed by Interserve and handed over to the University in June 2016, this stunning five-storey building will help us to further enrich the student experience at Southampton Solent, providing more interactive spaces for study as well as state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities.

Named ‘the Spark’ in celebration of Solent’s ten years of university status, the new building is a central, semi-public social learning space as well as a place where people can meet. It’s already playing host to our summer degree shows, and will provide staff and students with a dynamic new area in which to study, socialise and share learning experiences.

The building’s huge, attention-grabbing central atrium has brought a genuine ‘wow’ factor to the campus, and will enable us to strengthen our connections to local and regional business and community organisations through exhibitions, conferences, events and social functions.

Yet this is only the start. As proud as we’ve been to see the building take shape, it is just part of a £100 million estate development plan which is due to be completed by 2020.

For now, though, I look forward to welcoming you to our campus and sharing our new Spark with you – whether as a student, staff member, visitor or member of the community.

Professor Graham Baldwin Vice-Chancellor

900 tonnes of steel

2,900m3 of glass

9km of pipework

9,219m2 floor area

390m2 of solar panels

1500 light fittings

Taking shape Since construction on the Spark began back in July 2014, staff, students and the passing public have watched the building take shape.

From artist’s rendering‌

…to spectacular reality.

The alumni angle Returning to Solent to help shape its future During the Spark’s construction, there have been plenty of opportunities for students and alumni to get involved. Project construction lead Interserve employed 12 Solent graduates, including site manager Will Goddard, and Solent grads were involved in other areas as well.

1997 BA (Hons) International Business alumna Clare Donald is Head of Marketing and Communications at Scott Brownrigg, the build architects; we spoke to her in December 2015 about how things have changed since she graduated.

What is your company’s involvement with the site?

As the architects, Scott Brownrigg has led the multi-disciplinary team for the scheme. The practice worked in close consultation with the University on both the vision and design for the Spark building, as well as on the design for the stunning 80m-long pod.

How does it feel to be back on site at Solent and see the new build?

Exciting and intriguing – the University has massively changed since I attended. It’s always great to go on site and actually see a scheme finally being delivered, after spending so much time writing about and promoting the concept design. The fact that it’s a scheme at the University that I attended makes it all the more personal.

Do you remember what was at the site before the Spark?

Not really! I just recall there being a vehicle ramp to the car park at the back of the buildings and the Students’ Union, so the new teaching building – The Spark – is no doubt a fantastic addition to the University. It really looks incredible both when viewed from the park but also once inside the building. It’s very dramatic and I’m sure that students and teachers alike will find both the building and the pod a dynamic place to work and relax.

67 tonnes approximate weight of pod

Each pod leg 11 meters long 0.5m diameter 2 tonnes+

Modern teaching spaces The Spark’s five stories of new teaching spaces are designed to take advantage of the latest technology and educational theories, as well as reinforcing Solent’s commitment to equality and access.

Every room is designed with wheelchair users in mind, featuring a heightadjustable table that blends seamlessly with the rest of the room – helping prevent students in wheelchairs from feeling singled out for special treatment.

Similarly, our huge new Jane Austen lecture theatre features wheelchairfriendly seating and access at both the top and bottom of the seating area – giving students in wheelchairs the same access options as our other students.

Meanwhile, new 30-student capacity teaching rooms near the lifts on each floor are fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010, with ample space for up to 30 wheelchair users to learn safely and comfortably.

40 teaching spaces - 35 classrooms - 5 lecture rooms

1500 teaching capacity

Enabling engaged, collaborative learning The Spark is designed to enable a more informal teaching culture – its classrooms don’t look like classrooms, but break down the teacher-student hierarchy, encouraging learners to dive into the subject and adapt the experience to suit their own approaches and questions.

It’s the only teaching building in the sector with such a large proportion of ‘agile’ furniture, designed to promote creativity, independent thinking, and learning in your own way – breaking learners out of a traditional ‘receiver of knowledge’ mentality and getting them engaged through active questioning and thinking.

Every room is lecture capture enabled, and will replace the traditional projector/whiteboard combo with a 75” touchscreen that can process ten touches simultaneously, without lag.

It’s all designed to enable students to concentrate on their learning and enjoy it – no more furiously scribbled notes, as everything (on-screen and audio) can be captured and uploaded to our virtual learning environment.

The screen can even become a flipchart or digital whiteboard, controlled from a separate all-in-one touchpad, letting students lead their peers in debate and discussion.

The Spark’s core ICT infrastructure has also been designed with one eye on the future, allowing capacity to be scaled up to meet increased demand from internet-connected devices and media streaming without significant upgrades.

15 school and college site visits 5 work experience placements 6 lectures delivered by Interserve at the University

Beautiful, flexible social space That same flexibility extends into the Spark’s more public spaces, which are designed to enable both relaxed social interaction and collaborative learning.

‘Caves’ overlook the main Atrium, semi-enclosed spaces with comfortable booth-style seating for intensive group work; while balcony sofa benches around a low central table enable more relaxed, informal work or socialising.

And at the back of the Atrium, the Spark also features a breakfast barstyle table arrangement that’s perfect for individual working – lined with comfortable high stools with arms and backs, and offering an inspiring view past the Pod and out into East Park itself.

The iconic Pod itself can hold 40-60 students and is wheelchair accessible, with three tiers of seating and a curved floor-to-ceiling video wall for fullimmersion multimedia teaching. A dramatic open space on top of the Pod has space for two tables of 7-8 students, along with power for laptops, tablets and other mobile devices.

Recognition of modern students’ needs is also built into every room. Lecture theatres incorporate conveniently placed charging sockets, perfect for powering students’ gadgets, and even in the Atrium fixed power blocks/ tables deliver plenty of juice.

Around those blocks, the rest of the furniture in the Spark’s Atrium is modular, light and designed to be moved on a whim. Students can rearrange the space however they like, for whatever purpose, and it’ll still look beautiful. It’s flexible, social and striking design – a perfect example of the thinking behind the Spark.

Conference and community facilities In addition to state-of-the-art teaching facilities, the Spark is also a fantastic new home for Southampton Solent’s popular conference centre – offering an exceptional range of city-centre conference and exhibition space for local businesses, community groups and more.

As well as two large flexible suites with breakout hospitality areas overlooking the atrium, access to our East Park Deli and VIP dining area the Whitebeam Suite, Solent’s new conference facilities also include access to the fantastic new atrium and pod spaces.

Whether clients are looking to organise buffets, private dining, intimate social gatherings or high-impact receptions and galas, the conference centre has space for every occasion. In our state-of-the-art hospitality kitchen, the team provide fresh, locally sourced food and barista-style refreshments, as well as producing prestige menus for all manner of occasions.

Just some of the facilities available through the conference centre include: • Audience-interactive image-projection technology, adding the wow factor to exhibitions, weddings and other events.

• Barista-style coffee machines.

• Immersive ‘in the round’ presentation facilities in our Palmerston lecture theatre.

• Massive atrium video wall featuring twelve 40” screens.

• Floor-to-ceiling multimedia display and 5.1 surround sound in the pod.

• A flexible VIP dining suite can transform into a dancefloor and bar.

• All rooms fitted with the latest audio-visual equipment, including interactive touchscreens.

• Our 200-seat Jane Austen lecture theatre for large-scale lectures and presentations, with state-of-the-art technology, VIP green room and more.

• Fine dining for four to forty people, breakfast, lunch or dinner.

• Option for personal in-house technical support, or external specialists to support large stage-based events.

• Singers and presenters can take to the atrium’s overhanging balconies for unique immersive performances.

Southampton Solent University East Park Terrace Southampton SO14 0YN Tel: +44 (0)23 8201 3000 Email: ask@solent.ac.uk solent.ac.uk

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