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We have had a rare opportunity to re-think the internal design of eight of the teaching rooms, and as those designs near completion and building works begin, we want to share the plans with the wider University. On the pages that follow are some of the architects’ drawings and visualisations that show  not only the interior design of the teaching spaces, but also how the public areas of the building will be given a facelift to create a more user-friendly and attractive space for students and staff.

The refurbishment of Ramphal has been informed throughout by an awareness of the relationship of space to pedagogy – something taken seriously by both the architects, Berman Guedes Stretton , and the excellent working group drawn from across the university. The brief to create physically and metaphorically ‘open’ spaces, in which student-centred learning can flourish, has been balanced by an acknowledgement that much excellent teaching around the University takes place in ‘standard’ room layouts. The re-designed spaces make it possible – using the light and easily stackable furniture, advanced technical specs, and easily stored AV equipment – to transform the rooms very easily into a multitude of configurations from ‘exam’ conditions to completely open. The spaces will accommodate the widest possible choice of potential teaching and learning scenarios.

The acoustics  and ventilation of the rooms will be upgraded. New lighting and flooring has been specified, as has more manageable furniture and materials, in appropriate colours. In order to provide more openness and light, windows will be placed in the elevations of the teaching rooms that face into the atrium, equipped with internal blinds. We believe these improvements will encourage an atmosphere conducive to learning. In addition, one of the rooms on the ground floor has been designated as an ‘international portal’ and has additional video-conferencing technology that will permit a variety of collaborative teaching and learning activities with our partner universities overseas.

In Week 0 IATL and AV Services are arranging a series of sessions in the new spaces to demonstrate the range of possibilities they provide and to introduce the new AV provision. We look forward to sharing the potential of this exciting project with colleagues who teach in these spaces and anyone with an interest.