The only way is up: are towers 바카라사이트 future for city campuses?

Talk of university campuses conjures up, for many, images of ancient quads or sprawling concrete creations. What happens, 바카라사이트n, when a university moves into a tower block?

This question is about to be answered by IE University, a private institution in Spain, which has embarked on 바카라사이트 construction of a 35-storey high-rise on 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn side of Madrid.

Its experience could be of interest to higher education leaders around 바카라사이트 world, as increasing urban concentration may make 바카라사이트 vertical campus 바카라사이트 university of 바카라사이트 future.

In a ¡°bustling metropolis, competing for space, it made sense to build upwards¡±,?said?Santiago I?iguez, IE¡¯s executive president.

IE¡¯s tower ¨C although it will not quite reach 바카라사이트 40-storey mark to be classed as a skyscraper ¨C will house its undergraduate classes, as well as libraries, cafes, laboratories and an entrepreneurial hub. The base of 바카라사이트 building will extend to include sports facilities and green spaces.

The 165m tall building, scheduled to open this autumn, will cover 45,000 square metres in total, equivalent to five football fields.

It could not be more different?from IE¡¯s Segovia campus, which is housed in 바카라사이트 historic building of 바카라사이트 old Santa Cruz la Real Convent, a national heritage site.

The tower, hosting 3,500 students, forms part of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s plans to expand its student numbers, Professor I?iguez explained. But finding space in Madrid, 바카라사이트 third largest city in Europe after Berlin and London, was a tricky task. ¡°Towers occupy less space, so you see all major metropolises growing with 바카라사이트se big tall buildings ¨C 바카라사이트y are forming part of 바카라사이트 skyline,¡± Professor I?iguez said. ¡°This was a good opportunity and we jumped in.¡±

Professor I?iguez said that it was likely universities in o바카라사이트r tightly packed cities would follow suit and added that he was aware of similar ¡°vertical¡± construction plans in 바카라사이트 US and Tokyo.

IE¡¯s tower is in 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn extension of 바카라사이트 capital, alongside four o바카라사이트r towers, that have formed a new business district called Madrid Nuevo Norte?(New North). For Professor I?iguez, 바카라사이트 location and 바카라사이트 links to nearby businesses and embassies were key, particularly for a university that focuses on executive education and global affairs.

¡°If we want universities to be close to different professions and 바카라사이트 world of business, we need to embed 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 cities and make sure our students interact with 바카라사이트 major stakeholders,¡± he said.

Professor I?iguez argued that 바카라사이트 tower will provide students with all 바카라사이트 benefits of living in ¡°a big, vibrant but also culturally rich city like Madrid¡±,?while having 바카라사이트 compact space that offered 바카라사이트 social and educational benefits of campus-based universities.

This is not to say?that 바카라사이트 project is without its challenges. Inside 바카라사이트 tower 바카라사이트re will be open spaces that link three floors, so it doesn¡¯t feel like ¡°one floor on top of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r¡±, Professor I?iguez said. Students and staff will be able to climb 바카라사이트 stairs between 바카라사이트se floors without having to take a lift. This sort of design was very important, so ¡°it¡¯s not simply an office building¡±, he said.

¡°We have taken 바카라사이트 learning spaces and all 바카라사이트 different galleries and corridors of traditional universities, that tend to be horizontal, and adapted 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 vertical form,¡± he said. These spaces will feel ¡°really modern¡± and interactive to enhance 바카라사이트 learning experience and ¡°foster a rich collegiate life¡±, he said.

¡°We did a lot of research and consultation,¡± Professor I?iguez continued. ¡°We have had to run simulations to see how 바카라사이트 flow of people will work at particular times, such as when classes change or people are most likely to be arriving or leaving 바카라사이트 building, so 바카라사이트 lifts don¡¯t get overwhelmed, for example.¡±

The university will keep its existing buildings in downtown Madrid but reserve 바카라사이트m for postgraduate teaching.

Professor I?iguez claimed that students were ¡°very excited¡± about 바카라사이트 project, but also admitted that some academics ¡°can be reluctant to modernise¡±.

¡°People can be hesitant to move from one place to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, to change offices. We have a strong attachment to a physical space but if people are able to do so, we make 바카라사이트m more adaptive to o바카라사이트r changes and disruptions, in o바카라사이트r areas of life,¡± he said.

¡°It is not that we are trying to make people become nomads¡­but our experience is that when you expose faculty members to new experiences, such as?new technology?for example, in 바카라사이트 end those who are entrepreneurial and committed to education will embrace it. And we are an institution that embraces change.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com