TEMC 2016 Campus Tour

Thursday, 15 September 2016 9:15 am – 1:00 pm Departing from and returning to SkyCity Grand Cost $45.00 per person - includes morning refreshments

TEMC 2016 are pleased to offer a half day campus tour of two of Auckland’s inner city Universities, AUT and the University of Auckland.

First stop, the University of Auckland.

The University of Auckland has invested more than $200 million in a major redevelopment that will provide state of the art research and teaching facilities for its Faculty of Science and a new entranceway to the University.

“The Science Centre project will enhance the Faculty’s already significant contributions to research and economic development in New Zealand,” says University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon, noting that it coincides with the Government’s drive to lift science and innovation outcomes.

The project is on a scale comparable to the construction of the Owen G Glenn Building which houses the Business School, the upgrade of the Faculty of Medical and Health Science’s Grafton Campus and the recently announced redevelopment of the Faculty of Engineering. Collectively, the University’s concurrent new investments in science and engineering facilities exceed $400 million – one of the most significant investments in the New Zealand science and innovation sector

The new building comprises eleven stories and a basement with a total floor area of 23,500 m2.

Much of the adjacent tower building will also be refurbished, giving a total of almost 38,000m2 of new or refurbished space. The work follows the refurbishment of the science building on the corner of Wellesley and Princes Streets (known as Building 303 or the Mathematics and Physics Building).

The Faculty of Science is the highest-ranked in New Zealand, and its research activity and staff and student bodies are forecast to grow substantially over the next ten years. The redevelopment will accommodate most of this growth, and provide modern research, teaching and study environments.

The project will bring together scientific disciplines previously dispersed across the campus, increasing the opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The School of Environment, Institute of Earth Science and Engineering, National eScience Infrastructure, Department of Psychology and School of Chemical Sciences will move into the new building. They will join colleagues from the Departments of Physics, Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science accommodated in buildings in the same complex.

 The project will also help the University support the development of the high-value manufacturing sector. The complex will house a wide array of high-technology equipment including microfabrication facilities, mass spectrometry instruments, nuclear magnetic resonance equipment, high energy lasers, and photonics and acoustic suites.

Designed by Architectus, the new building provides a welcoming entrance way for students and the public on one of the University’s busiest street corners. From open public spaces on the ground floor the building will transition into formal teaching spaces and then specialised research areas on the upper levels. It is designed to have a logical flow and encourage interaction between disciplines. Students will benefit from large communal spaces, centralised student services, informal areas with access to wireless internet and drop in study spaces.

Next stop AUT, and don’t worry we will have a short coffee break as well.

AUT has combined modern and innovative spatial design with an integrated student service model to provide students with an excellent service experience. At the beginning of 2016, AUT brought together disparate teams across various campus locations, including: general enquiry management staff, student advisors, international support, disability support, financial support, as well as employability and learning support services.

The service model is based on the philosophy “I can help you with that” –– staff empowered to assist students with a range of issues, so students’ needs can be addressed in the first instance where possible.

Following this, the City Campus opened the doors to the collocated Student Hub, Learning Lab and Employability Lab.

The new integrated model provides a greater pool of knowledgeable staff, who offer comprehensive support to all students. The design of the spaces reflects a shift in how AUT seeks to interact with students – flexible, adaptable, current. Quality help, easily accessible to students.