Situated in the centre of Belfast, this 73,000 m2 development consolidates many of the University’s previously dispersed facilities. The campus consists of three new buildings which place six faculties together to help foster cross-pollination and innovation between specialist fields.

The layouts provide streets and atria connecting flexible learning spaces with café and social areas accessible by the public. Facilities include 350 seat and 250 seat raked lecture theatres, Harvard-style lecture theatres, meeting and conference facilities, classrooms, laboratories, workshops, a library as well as academic and support space.

The different uses within the buildings presented numerous and interesting acoustic challenges to overcome. This included designing sound insulation and vibration isolation strategies to accommodate:

• workshop and manufacturing machinery in spaces next to teaching and learning areas
• high specification music recording and playback rooms in areas with sensitive laboratories and meeting rooms
• electron-microscope laboratories with stringent vibration criteria close to specialist material testing facilities
• provision of an anechoic chamber.

The design and selection of finishes to teaching and learning areas was also a key consideration to ensure sound reverberation was controlled to meet University requirements.

Sandy Brown were appointed by the University to develop the design and employer’s requirements and by the contractor to assist with the construction stage.