University of
Manchester's Engineering Campus Development On the site of the University of Manchester's former Grosvenor Residence and Material Science Centre, work is underway in 2018 on a 4 year project to create a new Engineering Campus. Mecanoo, the architectural practice responsible for designing Manchester University's new Engineering campus, say that it, ".... will be a landmark that celebrates engineering within the world’s first modern city. Once complete, MECD will be the new home to the University’s four engineering schools and two research institutes from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. The scheme boasts 70,590 m2 of interactive learning environments, flexible labs, and bespoke project areas with cutting-edge technologies to support innovation, creativity and collaboration on a completely new scale." The hoardings around the construction display information about the purpose and scale of the new development:   
In November of 2017 Balfour Beatty was awarded the
contract to build the campus that is projected to cost
£287million. The university says of
the project that it, "... will support the
University’s strategic goals of creating
world-class research, providing an outstanding
learning environment and student experience and
social responsibility. MECD will provide a
state-of-the-art facility, housing the
University’s engineering schools, innovative
teaching spaces and research institutes such as
the Dalton Nuclear Institute and the BP-
International Centre for Advanced Materials
(BP-ICAM).
It will consolidate the majority of the University’s estate onto one main campus, creating a more compact and coherent infrastructure that reduces the institution’s carbon footprint and costs. MECD will also free up considerable land holdings in the north of the campus, contributing to the future economic success of the city with redevelopment opportunities in a prime city centre location."       ****************** Images from the demolition stage         ********************** Below are images of the halls of residence prior to demolition.  Located between the
Material Science Centre and the Aquatics Centre, the
Grosvenor Hall of Residence offers accommodation to 434
undergraduate and graduate students. This popular
hall provides mixed sex accommodation in spacious single
study bedrooms. Among the facilities on offer are:
table tennis, a launderette, a small library and
computer cluster room, a large reading foyer area, an
audio visual lounge and an amenity building with a
coffee bar and pool table.
  ************************* Another building that used to
occupy this site was the Engineering Campus was the
Manchester Materials Science Centre. When I
visited this building in November of 2015 it was
scheduled for demolition.
  ********************** Below are images of the building prior to demolition. The Manchester
Materials Science Building sits beside Upper Brook
Street close to the Mancunian Way.
 The web site of the
School of Materials says this about the history of the
school, "Textiles and Paper were two of the original
departments when the Mechanics Institution was
created in 1824, and subsequently when The
University of Manchester Institute of Science and
Technology (UMIST) was established in 1966 both were
still influential in educating students for these
major global businesses. ....
 .... Over the years both Departments have developed a truly world-wide alumni network with graduates proud to have been educated and associated with these UMIST technology centres. In addition as Textiles grew during the 1970’s new educational themes were developed and the concept of integrated, technology supported Textile Management, Design, Fashion and Retailing programmes were introduced reflecting the diverse nature of the business. Further still in recognition of the obvious synergies between Textiles and Paper, the Departments were merged in 2003 and thus offered a unique portfolio of skills and research equipment combining cellulosic and nonwovens technology."  |
