业主：宁波诺丁汉大学

建设地点：浙江省宁波市

建筑设计：BM宝麦蓝（上海）建筑设计咨询有限公司

项目负责人：Ben Somner、Harry Hoodless

设计团队：李岩、高迪、陈英涛、金志骞、乐佳欢

总建筑面积：学校占地面积584 630m²

国际创新创业孵化园15 000m²（地上）

图书馆及学习中心28 125m²（室内设计面积）

设计时间：2015～2019

建造时间：2019～至今

图片版权：宁波诺丁汉大学&宝麦蓝（上海）建筑设计咨询有限公司

让年轻人为21世纪的生活做好准备，是一场学习方式的变革。如今，创造力和解决问题的能力被认为是就业时雇主最看重的品质，因此，教育工作者也必须做出相应回应。

在各年龄段的教学过程中，教学方法都发生了重大转变，而变革的重点就是翻转学习——课前进行教学指导，课堂时间通过不同类型的学习方式加深理解，并最大化老师与学生“面对面”的沟通时间。翻转学习并不是一个全新的概念，但随着学生需求的变化这一概念正日益受到重视——与传统课堂相比更为灵活，并且更注重学生在整个学校环境中的学习。所以越来越多的学校需要为师生提供一系列从动态活跃到安静专注的不同类型空间，以满足对不同群体规模和注意力集中程度的需求。

随着学校现有结构的更新和新设施的出现，一场空间革命正在发生。设计师对传统教室布局进行了重构，通过减少固定教室形成一系列“多功能”空间，如小组教室、大型协作演讲空间和个人学习空间，甚至在某些极限案例中几乎没有传统教室。例如，新加坡Nexus莱仕国际学校的规划设计着重创造完全灵活的空间，通过对智能家具、地板/天花饰面和声学饰面的设计排布，将整体空间划分为多个学习区域。

2004年，宁波诺丁汉大学获教育部批准筹建，成为中国第一所引进世界一流大学优质教学资源、具有独立法人资格和独立校园的中外合作大学。BM宝麦蓝于五年前开始与宁波诺丁汉大学合作并帮助其制定2020年的战略规划，包括进行校园开发、改进其现有教学设施、解决建筑使用问题和质量问题。校园设施的升级改造主要关注的是升级现有空间，从而创造一个更具协作性、灵活性和适应行业技术不断变化的学习环境。

我们为学校提供的第一阶段的研究成果是一份设计文件，其中罗列了可以通过当地供应商采购的建筑饰面、家具、配件、设备以及具体的家具解决方案。第二阶段的工作是对学校整体规模进行调查和研究，在学校部分走廊放置家具以创造更多独特的活动空间，帮助他们在课堂和教室以外的地方学习成长。

宁波诺丁汉大学是一个现代化的校园，占地65英亩，无论是现有的建成环境还是景观都拥有无可挑剔的绿色资质，为营造舒适而充满活力的学习环境奠定了基础。校园环境的重要特征之一是拥有一系列自然湖泊，这些湖泊不仅是各种野生动物的聚集地，还为学校建筑提供雨水衰减和降温功能。许多建筑屋顶被生长缓慢的高山植物覆盖，有效维持了该建筑全年温度的稳定以及其他可持续特征。

从最初的棕地使用到专业的学术环境，其总体设计标准在校园最初开发时就已进行了设定，但是分期开发的每个阶段都影响了最初总体规划方案的凝聚力，同时教学模式的进步也需要对方案进行重新评估和构想。在开发过程中，我们工作的核心是两个关键的转型项目——21世纪的新型学习空间——国际创新创业孵化园和图书馆。但是，这些新增的建筑如何与最初的总体规划相联系以及它们今后在场地中所扮演的角色，对于实现学校2020年的战略规划至关重要。

最初的校园总体规划采用了传统的排布方式，由两条主轴连接大部分校园建筑。第一条主轴从场地北端开始贯穿校园，第二条主轴则向东与城市道路平行和垂直，连接校园的生活区。校园在向西南方向扩展时并未遵循原有轴线，新教学楼、礼堂和国际会议厅都以不规则且看似随意的方向进行布置。大量不拘一格的新建筑参差地坐落在校园中，虽然破坏了校园的最初设想，但这也为开发成更为轻巧的现代结构提供了一种可能，并且在为校园提供新的凝聚力的同时，引入新的景观方法使其嵌入现有校园。

校园总体可以分为五个功能区——学术及行政管理大楼、教学楼、生活区、特色设施聚集区、体育和娱乐设施，为了促进校园的良性发展，如何将新设施布置在合理的区域并与周围环境保持适当距离是需要重点考虑的。而国际创新创业孵化园、图书馆及学习中心两个转型项目的引入让宁波诺丁汉大学可以根据其功能和城市设计原则，在功能和美学上对校园进行升级，重新引入正式的规划设计方法，从而还原最初的总体规划设计方案。同样地，新规划的公共空间旨在将英国的某些特色融入中国校园内，而景观和室内装饰的重点则是通过具有质感的材质、茂密的植被和醒目的图案来加强21世纪的建筑形象。

国际创新创业孵化园实现了宁波诺丁汉大学的两项关键职能，不仅为校园提供了一个全新的面貌，还通过加强与商界的联系，为师生提供了宝贵的学习和协作机会。它将是一个充满活力的绿色城市发展项目，为宁波及其周边地区提供重要设施和价值。在舒适现代却具有强烈视觉冲击力的环境中，为有环境意识的企业家、调查员和投资者提供一个蓬勃发展的社区。

经过多轮方案设计，我们一致认为非凡的立面形式可以产生巨大的影响，因为建筑宏伟的姿态与令人印象深刻的体量不仅醒目，还可以吸引路人的注意力。就学校的背景而言，宁波诺丁汉大学是沿主要城市湿地公园东侧边缘延伸的四个学校中最南端的一个，也是四个学校中唯一没有利用这一广阔绿色公共空间建立醒目门户的校园。通过在校园的西南端放置国际创新创业孵化园，宁波诺丁汉大学创建了一个庄严而宏伟的校园入口，其简单优雅的设计遵循了校园的曲线边界。该建筑不仅是宁波诺丁汉大学的重要地标，还回应了场地的自然城市环境。

具有标志性的国际创新创业孵化园大楼旨在增强宁波诺丁汉大学的品牌形象，体现了学校对卓越商业教育的前瞻性思考。该建筑设计着眼于未来，既在领导力、教学法和数字环境方面进行创新又具有灵活性和适应性。虽然与校园现有设施形成了鲜明对比，但在建筑规模、体量、比例和材料的延续性方面予以尊重，混凝土的使用和数字雕刻的外形展现了这座建筑正处于这个时代的技术前沿。

作为大学校园的一部分以及普利茨克获奖建筑的所在地，建筑的规模和宏伟性需要重点考虑。这座高度相对较低的建筑西侧临街面采用了数字化无缝遮阳系统，建筑正前方是一个绿色景观缓冲区，在提供休憩空间的同时能够充分感受到建筑入口的形象。

国际创新创业孵化园将会同时接纳学生和外部专业人士，作为学术和商业之间的重要界面，在设计中如何定义城市内外边界及其对每个景观的响应都非常重要。为增强校园体验，孵化园内设计了一系列校外学习和探索场地，同时整合了学校2020年规划的活动区、自行车道和湿地生态区等独特功能。

建筑设计注重灵活性和协作空间，包括适用于兼具传统学习和商学院环境研究和技术的高规格空间、生活/工作空间以及一系列补充用途空间，如餐厅、咖啡厅、酒吧、健身房、屋顶花园和社交区。简而言之，这是一个支持Wi Fi使用的协同工作空间。灵活的学习空间促进了各种规模的群体互动，学生们可以尽情使用这些设施，而不仅是坐在一个标准的教室盒子里。数字技术使得“世界微缩成一间教室”，而家具技术则解决了如何将开放平面和单元式的空间结合起来，在空间上增加灵活性和空间效率。

国际创新创业孵化园的建筑形态是一个简单的弧形，宽松的刚性构架旨在使单元式的空间和灵活的环境成为可能。采光天井的设计让中庭地面更为活泼，为更大的协作环境创造了机会。围绕既定的规划网格，建筑的每个功能都以一种符合生物形态韵律的顺序排列，其灵感来源于鲨鱼鳃，让人联想到大学充满活力的未来感。

国际创新创业孵化园的设计充分体现了宁波诺丁汉大学的办学理念，旨在为当地提供高价值的就业机会，吸引大量研发投资，通过引入专业的合作伙伴和国际创新中心，进一步加强与当地商界的联系。整栋建筑可以分为三个相互关联又截然不同的区域——人才之家、“蜂巢”和诺丁汉大学商学院。

人才之家是一座为企业家、访问学者、参会人员和商业人士提供中国东部特色餐饮服务的生态型酒店，有助于将宁波诺丁汉大学打造为全球领先的学习、设计和创新中心，其绿色和可持续的生活学习环境正是国际化会议引入校园的关键。

“蜂巢”为30多家企业提供了价格合理、可灵活使用的空间，围绕着内外社交空间的是创客空间和数字化的环境，所有区域采用零碳设计，结合湿地公园的绿色环境，提供了最好的舒适性。诺丁汉贸易投资办公室和Launchpad也在“蜂巢”租了一个工位，他们为希望在宁波市投资并利用宁波诺丁汉大学商业、研究和学习网络的国际城市和企业提供软着陆服务。

一楼的美食广场为非正式的聚会以及全天用餐提供了空间，屋顶布置了餐厅和酒吧，毗邻的礼堂可举行高管培训或产品发布等正式活动。

受到STEAM学习革命的启发后，我们决定创建一个反映学习性质变化的新图书馆。STEAM运动创立于20世纪，最初的定义是“以数学为基础，通过工程和艺术表述科学和技术。”但实际上，STEAM不仅是五门学科的集合，更是一种整合的教育方法。

虽然STEAM和STEAM空间在学校中的应用越来越普遍，容纳并聚集了数学、科学、工程、技术以及艺术等传统主题，但是STEAM并不仅仅涉及单个空间——在STEAM学校中，这种教育方法必须是全面而普遍的。这是通过把图书馆作为校园核心来实现的，更准确地说，确保它是连接所有学生的校园生命线，因此图书馆常常被置于STEAM学校的中心。

仅仅为了借书而设置学校图书馆的年代已经过去，在数字时代，它的功能更加多样，逐渐成为满足人们好奇心和激发人们创造力的场所，是给予学生启发、鼓励学生学习的地方。近年来，一排排书籍被一排排台式计算机所取代，而现在这些机器也将消失，实现更加灵活的学习方式。为使师生们的学习行为更机动、空间更灵活，学校积极鼓励师生使用自带设备或学校分发的平板和笔记本电脑。用于描述这些透明和动态学习环境的术语也像空间本身一样在不断发展。尽管不同术语描述的空间大致相同，但不可否认，图书馆确实正在成为学校的共享多媒体学习中心。

随着数字内容和信息能够通过设备在任何地方访问，图书馆逐渐成为一个学习和参与社交的场所，而探索、交流和协作成为21世纪学习者的重要特征。未来的图书馆必须能够满足不同学习风格、不同群体规模和不同声学环境的学习需求，从用于项目工作和团队合作的活跃动态空间，到个人安静的学习空间，多样化和规模化是关键。

STEAM学校强调通过实践和创造来学习，创客空间因此成为STEAM动态学习环境的重要组成部分之一，为学生提供激发创造力的材料、工具和空间。我们认为，与其将创客空间融入传统的工艺课堂，不如放在STEAM学校的核心——图书馆，让创新点与多个学科进行交互。这种STEAM图书馆的概念在高等教育领域得到发展和适应，为宁波诺丁汉大学新图书馆的设计奠定了基础。

宁波诺丁汉大学图书馆项目位于校园中心和原规划中两条轴线的交汇处附近，从校园大部分区域步行5min均可到达，紧邻食堂、宿舍、教学楼和现有图书馆等关键设施，体现了项目的协作理念。根据学生行为习惯，图书馆24h开放，最多可容纳2 000人同时使用。除了为个人学习提供的安静空间，还包括多功能室、活动空间、社交学习讨论区和冥想区，为校园提供了一个核心社交空间。事实上，图书馆还专门针对不同功能区进行了设计，每层都采用了降低环境噪音的措施，使得学生可以自行选择适合的空间或进行社交活动。

图书馆的室内设计灵感来自宁波诺丁汉大学的关键特征——专业化教育、多元文化、创新与团队精神，也来源于一片令大家怀念的被建筑所取代的小森林。新落成的4层24 000m²的地标性图书馆首层是一个服务于整个校园的“社交花园”，由校园的景观环境启发而来，希望在一定基础上弥补因新图书馆开发而失去的部分绿色空间。

为营造一个舒适宁静的环境氛围，图书馆每层都种了绿色植物，并以“原著鸟”为原型定义图书馆各层的功能和色彩，而大露台的设计融合了内外空间。

一层的灵感来自丝光椋鸟，这种鸟啼鸣响亮、喜群居、不怕人。因此，一层提供一系列面向学生的开放互动空间，包括展览厅、咖啡休息区和冥想室，均围绕主入口中庭设置，可同时容纳1 000名学生。

二层的代表鸟类是白头鹎，这种鸟性格活泼，以小群活动为主，所以二楼是为小团体提供半公共空间、小组讨论和社团活动为主。这一层还包括3D打印机、剪辑室和创客空间等小组工作空间，鼓励学生体验虚拟现实、乐高积木等创造性活动。

三层可容纳约500名学生，该层设置的各类安静区域将专为学生自习使用。与其上下层可存放10万册书相比，该层可存放超过15万册图书。本层的鸟类灵感来自于孤独谨慎的夜鹭。

四层是典藏馆、研究型机房和数字人文实验室，该层的灵感来自于一种不太显眼的本土鸟类小鷿鷈，其安静的空间氛围和丰富的书籍旨在鼓励师生进行多样的研究和沉思。

全新的总体规划和上述两个主要学习项目的引入为宁波诺丁汉大学带来了新的战略构想。在与外部合作中抓住新机遇，同时提供一个示范性的校园和建筑环境；了解当代学生及学者的需求，同时为学校下一步发展做好准备。

There has been a significant pedagogical shift in the teaching of all ages with a focus towards flipped learning,where instruction is delivered ahead of lessons so that class time is more focused on understanding through different kinds of learning and maximizing‘face time’with teachers and peers.

This is not a new concept but one that is increasingly gaining traction as the needs of the student change–the result is a much more fluid interpretation of the traditional‘classroom’and one that is much more focused on learning through the whole school environment.Hence,increasingly learning providers need to offer a range of different spaces,from the active and dynamic to the quiet and focused,each catering for different groups sizes and levels of focus depending on the needs of the users.

As the existing fabric of schools and colleges are being renewed and a new generation of facilities is emerging,a revolution of space is taking place.Clusters of traditional classrooms are being reimagined so that there are less fixed spaces,resulting in an array of‘other’spaces including group rooms to large collaborative lecture spaces and individual learning pods.In some cases,these transformational ideas are being pushed to the limit with almost no traditional classrooms at all.At our Nexus International School in Singapore,the focus is on completely flexible spaces with smart furniture design,floor and ceiling finishes and acoustic finishes allowing spaces to be divided into different learning zones.

The University of Nottingham Ningbo China(UNNC)was the first Sino-foreign university to launch in China when it first opened its doors in 2004.Five years ago Broadway Malyan began working with the university to help develop a strategic 2020 vision to develop the campus and help evolve its facilities and resolve issues of utilization and quality within buildings that had been provided by a local partner.This project primarily focused on upgrading existing spaces,creating a learning environment that is more collaborative,flexible and adaptable to perpetual technological change in the sector.

The result of the first set of studies was a design document setting out architectural finishes,furniture,fittings and equipment(FF&E)and specific furniture solutions which were procured through the local supply chain.The next phase of the practice’s work was to examine the opportunity for key interventions at both a small and large scale,providing activity into lifeless circulation spaces and creating a series of unique selling points around the campus that would create experiences for the students,helping them grow in ways beyond lecture theatres and classrooms.

UNNC’s Jubilee Campus is a modern purposebuilt campus that extends to 65 acres with impeccable green credentials both in its existing built environment and landscape that underpins a comfortable and vibrant learning environment.An important feature of the campus is a series of lakes which,as well as being home to a rich and diverse collection of wildlife,also provide stormwater attenuation and cooling for the buildings.Many of the buildings themselves have roofs covered by low growing alpine plants to help maintain steady temperatures throughout the year as well as numerous other sustainable features.

When first developed,the campus set a benchmark in university design,from its exemplar use of brownfield land to its academic environment but each additional phase has impacted the overall cohesion of the original masterplan while advances in pedagogical considerations have led to the need to re-evaluate and reimagine.At the heart of Broadway Malyan’s work has been two key transformational projects–the design and delivery of two new learning spaces for the 21st century–a new Innovation Incubator building and a new main library.However,how these new additions to the built environment relate to the original masterplan and the role they play in evolving the site to meet the modern needs of the university were fundamental to achieving the ambitions of the 2020 vision.

The original campus masterplan was arranged in a conventional way with two axes controlling the majority of the campus buildings.The first starts from the focal point of the north corner of the site while the second system runs parallel and perpendicular with the city and roads to the east,giving an order to the campus’s living zone.These axes,however,are not respected by the campus’s expansion to the southwest of the site with a new teaching building,auditorium and international conference hall all arranged in a more irregular and seemingly haphazard orientation.The eclectic and substantial new architecture has intermittently emerged on the campus,disrupting the original vision for the campus but also offering an opportunity to develop complementary modern structures that were more lightweight in form and provided a refreshed cohesion to the campus,while introducing a new landscape approach that embeds the new additions with the existing campus.

Generally,the current campus could be understood in five functional zones:academic&management staff buildings;formal teaching&learning;living;village of unique facilities;and sports&play–for any successful future expansion of the campus,locating new facilities in the right zone and in the right proximity with its surroundings would be essential.The introduction of the new innovation incubator and library and learning center was an opportunity to upgrade the campus both functionally and aesthetically with the locations of the two transformational projects based on their functions and,reintroducing a formal planning approach that reinstated the guiding principles of the original masterplan robust urban design principles.Equally the proposed new masses and public realm aimed to capture a British identity within a Chinese campus density while there was a significant focus on the landscape and interiors to reinforce a 21stcentury tech-enabled architectural vision with material tactility,lush planting and lawns and bold graphics.

The new Innovation Incubator fulfills two key functions for UNNC in that it not only provides a new face for the campus but also provides a valuable learning and collaboration asset through strengthening its ties with the business community.The UNNC Innovation Incubator will be a vibrant and green urban development that provides significant amenity and value to Ningbo and its surroundings,hosting a thriving community of environmentally-aware entrepreneurs,investigators and investors in comfortable and contemporary yet visually striking surroundings.

A number of options were considered for this project and it was agreed that a singular dynamic form would create the greatest impact,a grand gesture with an impressive critical mass that could be viewed from all points of its local content and that would capture the attention passers-by.

In terms of its context,UNNC is the most southerly of four campuses that extend along the eastern edge of a major city wetland park although UNNC was the only one of the four that had not exploited the opportunity of creating a clear gateway into this broad public green space.By locating the new Innovation Incubator along the southwestern edge of the campus,the university has been able to create a dignified but grand entrance to the campus that not only creates an important landmark with its simple elegant design which follows the curve of the campus edge but also responds to the natural urban context of the site.

The truly iconic Incubator building has also been designed to strengthen the UNNC brand identity as it exemplifies UNNC’s forward-thinking approach to exceptional business education.Its form focuses on the future,namely innovation in leadership,pedagogy and digital environments and while being flexible and adaptable for future generations.The building presents a contrast to the existing facilities on the campus but also pays them respect in terms of scale,massing,proportion and material continuity.The use of concrete–but digitally sculpted–demonstrates how this building is at the leading edge of technology for its time.

As part of a university campus and home to Pritzkerwinning architecture,it was important that the building competes in terms of scale and grandeur.The relatively low rise building’s long west-facing frontage has a digitally fabricated seamless solar shading system with a green landscape buffer in front to provide breathing space from which to appreciate the ceremony of the building entrance.

As the building will accept both students and external professionals it will be an important interface between academia and business and as such it was important in the design that defines an inside and outside urban edge,with responsive landscapes against each.This includes a series of external learning and places for exploration to enhance the campus experience and integrate or overlook some of the unique features delivered under the vision of 2020including activity areas,bike tracks and wetland eco-zones.

The design is focused on flexibility and collaborative space and includes high specification spaces dedicated to research and technology with traditional learning and business school environments as well as live/work spaces and a range of complementary uses such as a restaurant,café,bar,gym,roof garden and social areas.In short,this is essentially a wifi-enabled co-working space for adults.Flexible learning spaces both within and outside the classroom promote group interaction at various scales and allow students to engage with the facilities rather than just sit in a standard box.Digital technologies allow students to consider‘the world as a classroom’while furniture technology resolves how open plan and cellular solutions can be blended to offer flexibility in space and spatial efficiency.

The Incubator building is a simple arc with a loose fit rigid frame designed to enable a cellular fit-out and flexible environments and light wells activate a deeper floorplate,fostering opportunities for larger collaboration environments.Focused on an established planning grid,each function of the building is set out in an order that suited a rhythmic biomorphic façade inspired by shark gills,evoking a sense of the dynamic future the university inspires.

Its design embraces a fundamental tenant of the university’s modus operandi,the incubator is designed to deliver high-value local jobs and attract extensive research and development investment,further reinforcing its relationship with the local business community through the introduction of professional service partner units and an international innovation hub.The layered building can broadly be disseminated into three interconnected but distinct zones–the talent house;“the hive”;and the Faculty of Business Nottingham University Business School(NUBS China).

The talent house includes aneco-hotel for entrepreneurs,visiting scientists,conference delegates and the business community with a unique F&B offering that provides a differentiating offer in eastern China and helps place UNNC as a leading center for learning,design and innovation while its green and sustainable living and learning environment is key to bringing international conferences to the campus.

“The hive”provides flexible affordable space for up to 30 businesses around maker spaces and digital environments that break into internal and external social spaces.The zone houses new enterprises within a zerocarbon design that sets the highest standards of internal comfort combined with the green parkland surroundings.Nottingham Trade and Investment office and Launchpad rent desk services are sited with“the hive”,which provides soft landing services to international cities and businesses looking to invest in the city and region and to exploit UNNC business,research and learning network.

The ground floor food court features space for informal gathering as well as all-day dining.The rooftop will feature a slow dining restaurant and bar adjacent to the auditorium for more formal events,potentially linked to executive training or product launches.

The project to create a new library that reflects the changing nature of learning has been inspired by the STEAM revolution in school learning.The STEAM movement was founded in the mid-2000s and was originally defined as“Science and Technology,interpreted through Engineering and the Arts–all based on elements of Mathematics”.STEAM is not merely a collection of five subjects but a completely integrated educational approach.

The inclusion of STEAM rooms and STEAM buildings is becoming increasingly common to accommodate and cluster those traditional subjects described by the acronym.However,STEAM is not about individual spaces-in a STEAM school,the effect of this educational approach needs to be all-encompassing and pervasive.This is achieved by putting the library as the heart of the campus,or perhaps more accurately,ensuring it is the lifeblood of a campus that connects all learners and as such,places the library at the epicenter of the school’s STEAM endeavors.

It has been a long time since the school library was purely about lending books-in the digital age,it has become so much more.The modern library has increasingly become a destination for curiosity and creativity,a place that inspires students and encourages a love of learning.In recent years the rows of books have been replaced with rows of desktop computers.Now,these are also disappearing to provide more flexible facilities.Learners are now encouraged to BYOD(Bring Your Own Device)or use school-issued tablets and laptops–making learners more mobile and spaces more flexible.Even the terms used to describe these transparent and dynamic learning environments are evolving like the spaces themselves.While the space they describe is largely the same,libraries are becoming learning commons,learning hubs,and media centers.

With the ability for digital content and information to be accessed anywhere via the devices,so the library,therefore,becomes a place of participation and social learning,encouraging exploration,communication and collaboration–key tenets of the 21st-century learner.The future library must be able to cater for different learning styles,different groups sizes and different acoustic environments.From active and dynamic spaces for project work and group collaboration,through to individual quiet study pods,variety and variety of scale is key.

STEAM schools place an emphasis on learning by doing and making things.The makerspace has,therefore,become a key component of any dynamic STEAM learning environment.A makerspace gives students the materials,tools and space to be creative and innovative.Rather than these spaces being incorporated into a traditional design technology classroom,they should be at the heart of the STEAM school–in the library-where the creative emphasis can cross-pollinate with all subjects.

The collaborative ethos of the project is reflected in its location near the center of the campus and close to the intersection between the two original development axes.The site can be arrived from most areas of the campus in five minutes-walk and is within close proximity to other key facilities such as the canteen,dormitories,teaching buildings and the existing campus library.Responding to the changing learning behaviors of students,the library will be open 24 hours a day and can accommodate up to2,000 people at any one time.As well as providing a quiet space for individual learning,the facility also includes multi-function rooms,event spaces,discussion areas for social study and a meditation area–essentially providing a central social space for the whole campus.Indeed,the library has been specifically designed with the different functional areas distributed to embrace the concept of declining ambient noise from the first level the fourth,allowing students to choose the appropriate space or engage socially.

While the design of the whole development is inspired by the key characteristics of UNNC such as professional education,diversity,innovation,and teamwork,it is underpinned by a narrative that references that forested area that the building replaces.The ground floor of the new landmark four-story 24,000sqm library is dedicated to social learning and the creation of an education community to serve the whole campus.This‘social garden’is inspired by the green spaces of the campus and aspires to in-part replace some of the green space lost to this new library development.

Green planting will be brought into the interior on all levels of the library to create an environment that promotes wellbeing and an atmosphere of calm and tranquillity and each floor has been inspired in feature and color by a local indigenous bird while every level features a large balcony that reinforces the integration between the inside and outside.

Level 1 is inspired by the red-billed starling,a bird that crows loudly lives in groups and lives close to humans,As such,the first level includes a range of interactive spaces including an exhibition hall,coffee lounge and meditation room,all around the main entrance atrium.This is the largest of the levels,accommodating up to 1,000 students at a time.

The second level embraces the characteristics of the light-vented bulbul with a lively and cheerful atmosphere,catering for small groups with a range of semi-public spaces for group discussions and associated activities.This level also includes a focus on group project work with 3D printers,an audio-visual recording studio and maker space,encouraging a range of creative activities,either physically using tools such as Lego or in the virtual world.

Level 3 accommodates around 500 students and is specifically focused on self-study with various quiet areas and room for more than 150,000 books compared with 100,000 on the level below and above.This level is inspired by the solitary and discreet night heron.

The Research and Computer lab and Digital Lab can be found on Level 4,also inspired by one of the more inconspicuous local birds,the little grebe,where again the spaces,abundant books and atmosphere encourage quiet study and contemplation.

The refreshed masterplan and the introduction of these two major new learning facilities articulates a new strategic vision for UNNC,embracing new opportunities in external collaboration while providing an exemplary model campus and built environment that understands the changing needs of this generation of students and academics while futureproofing for the next.