Topping out ceremony for new International Development building
14 Nov 08
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Academic Services and University Collections performed a topping out ceremony at a new three-storey building designed to house Oxford’s expanding Department of International Development.
To mark the completion of the first stage of construction, Professor Ewan McKendrick fixed a special gold bolt into the new extension on the Mansfield Road site on Friday 14 November.
The new East Wing will bring all of the teaching and research facilities for the Department of International Development under one roof. The extension, on the corner of Mansfield Road and Jowett Walk, replaces a redundant 1930s lecture theatre and 1960s hangar to the east side of the building. It will provide 950 square metres of extra space spread over four floors, including a basement. It will house the Refugee Studies Centre and other departmental research groups, a purpose built 70-seat seminar room and extra study space for Masters’ students.
Professor Ewan McKendrickNot only is this a fitting way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the department’s base at Queen Elizabeth House, but this new building also enables further development of research and teaching activities over the next 50 years.
The building, designed by Hawkins Brown, to departmental and University briefing requirements, has many environmentally friendly features. There are motorised louvres and four chimneys containing air shafts that will extract hot air using a stack effect, so the building has a natural cooling system instead of venting or air conditioning. Roof-top solar collectors will provide hot water required within the existing building, and other energy efficient features include a low-energy heating system and a semi-automated lighting system.
Professor McKendrick said: ‘Today marks an important phase of expansion for the Oxford Department of International Development. Not only is this a fitting way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the department’s base at Queen Elizabeth House, but this new building also enables further development of research and teaching activities over the next 50 years.’
Professor Valpy FitzGerald, Professor of International Development and Head of Department, said: ‘This building will enable us to bring together all our research activities, presently scattered over five Oxford sites, and provide first class facilities to our 250 graduate students from across the globe.’
The new building will be completed in April 2009.