Dr. Moira Helm, Joint Project Director for Augustine House, tells us what students can expect from the new building:

Augustine house certainly has a wow factor, which will be visible from the moment you step foot in the building. I think the biggest change students will experience from the new library at Augustine House will be the calm environment where they can use mobiles, talk to each other and relax.

Here at Christ Church we also recognise that times are changing and that a lot of students work and live in a different world. Social networking is coming into teaching, learning, and general working life. Therefore the whole building is wireless, with hundreds’ of PC’s. We haven’t put banks of PC’s together, such as the open access areas at the North Holmes Round Campus, where there are row upon row of PC’s. A lot of the soft furniture, such as armchairs, also have built in power and cabling for you to study in comfort.

I think the building and furniture is interesting. It’s not “funky” but has a good mix of colours, style, big and small sofas, and moveable screens. Augustine House is so flexible, allowing you to create your own learning environment.

There is an argument that the location of the Augustine House means that many students’, particularly second and third years, will be reluctant to walk 10 minutes from the North Holmes Road Campus to go study in the library. However, this is not the case. The building is ideally situated for students’ who travel to University by bus or train, so in some ways it is much more accessible. Augustine House is also located just minutes from the town centre. In fact, many of the staff have joked that they should be eligible for a pay rise as they find themselves going into town during lunch hours and spending all their wages.

As with any new establishment of this size, there is no doubt that Augustine House will encounter some teething problems. However, the librarians are already working in the building and are accustomed to the new environment. Any teething problems will be dealt with proactively to enhance your learning experience.

All staff will be relocated to Augustine House by the end of October and the doors will be open to students from September 21. The terrace and atrium cafes will also be open for buisness in September.

These are exciting times for students’, staff, and everyone else involved with the University. We look forward to the opening of Augustine house when you can see for yourself just what an amazing establishment it is.

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