Around 130 staff members took the opportunity to get a sneak peek of our new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) facilities last week, ahead of the official opening of the completed space on Monday 24 April.
The two-year, £11 million project has seen the refurbishment of a number of rooms within Sheaf and Eric Mensforth Building (EMB) to improve teaching and learning spaces for STEM subjects as well as the creation of an impressive new space – the Hertha Ayrton STEM Centre – linking the two buildings. The staff event gave colleagues the chance to view some of the refurbished areas, such as the new state-of-the-art chemistry lab, as well as tour the stunning new centre which boasts galleries, social learning and collaborative spaces. The centre also hosts the new ACES faculty helpdesk and provides seating and tables for learning and relaxing, with easy access to EMB Eric’s café via a brand new entrance.
A series of display boards provided extra information about the development and some of the unique features of the new building – such as the re-use of the distinctive steel gates, once used on the old concourse and now a distinctive feature within the new space. The centre has been named in honour of Hertha Ayrton, the British engineer, mathematician, physicist and inventor who broke boundaries for female engineers during the late 19th and early 20th century.
The creation of the centre and the refurbishment of SHEAF/EMB presents a great opportunity for us to improve both the student and staff experience in these locations, and provide a publicly-accessible environment as a resource for nurturing enterprising, work-ready students. The centre is now open to staff and students and is accessible via Sheaf Street; from level 2 of the Atrium (through the doors adjacent to the Pennine lecture theatre); from EMB through a new entrance alongside the catering outlet, Eric’s; and via Sheaf.