This month marks an exciting milestone – just one year to go until we open the doors of our flagship building in the transformative new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC).
On 23 September, I was delighted to host a tour of the building for members of the press and our student media. We shared a look behind the scenes of the new spaces in development, explained the vision for the new campus and discussed its potential to help shape the future of our region. The coverage and positive responses across our networks have shown the sense of excitement and anticipation is growing, which is fantastic to see.
This milestone comes in the same busy month that Skills Minister Jacqui Smith officially opened our Hartcliffe and Withywood Micro-campus. Here, we are developing a new micro-qualification to enable a broad range of learners gain skills that can take them into further study or employment. Taster sessions this autumn will invite local people and organisations to co-design a programme that responds to regional needs.
We also welcomed the launch of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s Regional Growth Strategy this month. Using our pioneering research facility at TQEC as the venue and detailing plans for UK’s first AI Supercluster centred on Isambard-AI, the strategy is bold, ambitious and closely aligned with the future we are building through our new campus.
Our University is at the heart of something truly special – for our students, our staff and our region.
Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Lead for the Temple Quarter Programme
Official opening of the Hartcliffe and Withywood Micro-campus
On 4 September, Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, officially opened the Hartcliffe and Withywood Micro-campus.
Calling it ‘a fantastic initiative and a great example of innovative community engagement to boost access and participation’, Baroness Smith also referenced the £178,000 in funding which was awarded by the Office for Students earlier this year. The funding is being used to co-design a new micro-qualification with partners Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures (HWV), local employers and further education providers.
The micro-qualification will be led jointly by Jane Hewer at HWV and Michelle Graffagnino, a lecturer at the University who is a lifelong resident of the area and who was first in her family to go to university. Michelle said: “I was born and raised in BS13 and feel passionately about this opportunity to give back to the community that raised me, to act as a role model and mentor for others at the Hartcliffe and Withywood Micro-campus so that everyone, including people south of the river, can share in our city’s successes.”
This autumn, taster sessions will be taking place to support in the designing of the micro-qualification.
Campus development
With less than one year from the main academic building opening, construction remains on schedule.
Internally, the curved walls in the Story Exchange room are now complete. Progress continues for the installation of the underfloor heating system and floor screed, ground floor lecture theatre 360-degree projection screen drum, and on all levels for internal doors, glazed screen timber frames and timber panelling. Scaffolding has been removed from the internal atria and Internal Gardens with glass balustrading complete. The feature staircase progresses well with the installation of timber treads and handrails.
Externally, landscaping continues with paving adjacent to both Bristol Temple Meads and the Floating Harbour. As part of the soft landscaping works, the first 40 mature trees have now been planted along the Floating Harbour and on the external terrace. Following removal of the construction hoist, the building’s façade is being completed with the installation final unitised glazed cladding panels.
Highways works have commenced on both Cattle Market Road and Feeder Road with the construction of new pedestrian crossings, a bus stop, lighting, and surfacing. These works and road closures are planned to continue until December 2025.