St Mary’s University College Belfast
As the new academic year begins at universities across the UK, we’re excited to share the completion and handover of the St Mary’s University College Belfast project.
We are proud to have played a key role in the Isherwood + Ellis multi-disciplinary design team, focusing on the refurbishment of the Cardinal Newman Library, Student Services Area, Dining Hall, College Hall, and the Courtyard, where we led the MEP efforts.
Cardinal Newman Library
This newly refurbished space offers a variety of open-plan areas, complemented by meeting rooms of various sizes, local service areas, and private study spaces on each level.
The project features bespoke integrated lighting within the precast concrete staircase, gallery windows, bookshelves, and study booths. The entire building’s lighting system is equipped with app control for added convenience. Additionally, access control, RFID tagging, and room booking systems have been installed, with plans to extend these technologies across the entire campus in the future.
Student Services
The Student Services area plays a crucial role in supporting students’ academic and personal development, making it a vital part of the campus environment. Our work involved refurbishing an outdated IT space, transforming it into a bright, modern environment with a newly incorporated mezzanine level to maximise the use of space.
This transformation resulted in a compact first-floor area that, despite presenting a few design and coordination challenges, we maintained live services throughout the project.
Dining Hall
The Dining Hall is a key hub for students to socialise between lectures and seminars and provides a place to refuel throughout the day. Our redesign of this space was aimed at significantly enhancing the student experience at St Mary’s.
The MEP services we provided included further decarbonisation of the campus by implementing a VRV heat pump system, central ventilation with CO2 monitoring for the dining hall, and smart lighting with wireless control and scene setting. Additionally, we completed a specialist kitchen fit-out with kitchen extract odour treatment.
This phase of the project also encompassed the refurbishment of the Beechmount Lobby and the Student Union Office, which includes the entrance to the Cardinal Newman Library.
College Hall
This project also included the complete refurbishment and extension of the existing College Hall, transforming it into a modern 370-person lecture theatre suitable for both college events and teaching. The services provided in this area included stage lighting, AV systems, and a VRV air conditioning system seamlessly integrated within the tiered seating.
Additionally, the project involved the full renovation of the adjoining internal courtyard, featuring new amphitheatre seating, site furniture, and lighting.
“The successful completion and handover of this project are a testament to the outstanding collaboration and dedication of our entire team. Our goal was to create spaces that not only meet the functional needs of the university but also enrich the lives of its students. We are proud to have delivered a space that truly enhances the student experience at St Mary’s.” Gavin McCausland, Belfast Director.
To learn more about our education initiatives and the ongoing projects visit our Capability & Experience page or reach out directly to our Belfast Director, Gavin McCausland.
