As Welcome Week gets underway on the new academic year, students and staff are using three new flagship buildings on Howard Street for the first time.
The buildings, Langsett, Redmires and Strines, named after reservoirs around the city, offer world-class teaching, learning and research facilities. They include new homes for Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences, Architecture and Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice.
The buildings have been designed with modern study in mind with flexible learning spaces, social areas and places to eat and drink as well as sustainability features like heat pumps and solar panels.
Outside, there are two rooftop gardens, and the new Hallam Green which provides a public space that includes 400 square meters of new planting, 25 new trees and spaces for up to 150 people to sit and relax.
Sheffield Hallam University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Liz Mossop, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming new and returning students to Sheffield Hallam who will be able to use our world-class new facilities for the first time.
“The new buildings provide state-of-the-art spaces for modern teaching and learning, as well as socialising and relaxing between studies. It is fantastic to see them so vibrant during Welcome Week, and the feedback from our students and staff so far has been outstanding.
“The Howard Street development will be a huge asset for the University over many years to come, providing an outstanding offer for potential future students. The development also provides a fantastic new gateway for Sheffield, including spaces everyone can use and enjoy alongside our staff and students.”
Langsett, the largest of the three new buildings is the new home for Sheffield Business School. Students will be able to learn in modern teaching spaces including a trading floor and industry-standard Bloomberg software. There’s also a business engagement zone for meetings with clients and partners and spaces to support collaboration and entrepreneurship including a pop-up shop for startups.
Dr Sam Giove, Director of Sheffield Business School, said: “The opening of our new purpose-built facility represents a significant milestone in the history of Sheffield Business School. The landmark building provides exceptional facilities for our students and business partners, and we are both proud and excited to welcome them to our new home.
“The building embodies our commitment to making a positive impact on the region and we look forward to building on our reputation as a high-quality business school developing responsible leaders of the future.”
Redmires is the new home for the University’s Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences, Architecture and Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice, which includes a new legal advice centre and moot court.
Dr Iain Garner, Executive Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Arts, said: “How inspiring to see these new buildings rise in the heart of our city. They give our students, colleagues, partners and communities a vibrant home to learn, innovate, challenge and create. Inside are flexible, future-ready spaces for teaching, collaboration and social connection that support every kind of learning activity. They embody our long-term commitment to our people and our city, and to our mission to transform lives. Built and run to low-carbon standards, they also signal our determination to lead sustainably in everything we do.”
The third building, Strines, provides a home for the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology (SYIoT), where the University offers high-quality technical education across multiple STEM subject areas.
The dedicated SYIoT floor provides the latest equipment being used by industry including a cutting-edge immersive suite with AR and VR equipment to replicate real-world scenarios, plus interactive 3D graphics and audio, wearable sensors, drone technology, robotics and interactive studio space.
Hallam Students’ Union President Molly Pemberton said: “It is really exciting to see the opening of the highly anticipated new buildings, Langsett, Redmires and Strines, as well as Hallam Green - a fantastic addition to City Campus! I am pleased to welcome not only new students to Hallam but also staff and students from Collegiate, to City Campus for the start of this new academic year. With a range of new social and study spaces, catering outlets, state-of-the-art facilities, and a focus on sustainability, it is great to see the University investing in the future for our students.”
The new buildings complement wider refurbishment and upgrades taking place across the University’s two campuses. This includes the Atrium in the Owen Building and new facilities at Collegiate Campus for the University’s health students including a new simulated hospital ward.
Further investment is planned at Collegiate Campus, which remains home to thousands of students in the College of Health, Wellbeing and Lifesciences to provide high-quality facilities. This includes new simulated GP practices, mental health wards, art therapy studios and sport therapy treatment spaces.
The opening of the new city campus buildings comes at a time when the University is launching a new strategy. The University Strategy 2030 sets out the University's purpose, ambition, values and priorities for the future.
The new purpose-led strategy, developed in consultation with staff and students, will focus on outcomes that make an impact in three areas: enabling healthier lives, building stronger communities and driving future economies.
An official opening for the new buildings will take place later in the year.
