Fantastic facilities at new £39m campus

Feb 12 2008 by Jule Wilson, The Journal

THE new college campus in the heart of Gateshead’s cultural quarter will cater for 7,000 students after half-term – and yesterday The Journal was given a preview of what they will find.

The £39m building, which will be fully adopted as Gateshead College’s main campus a week on Monday, features a state-of-the-art gym and aerobics studio, two fully-equipped spas, a multi-storey car park for students and staff and a bistro restaurant where catering students can show off their newly-learned culinary skills.

The purpose-built college has been strategically placed next to the Baltic and the Sage, as well as the business park that is currently taking shape on Gateshead Quayside.

Principal David Cheetham said: “The campus provides excellent facilities for students. Classrooms have interactive white boards and new computers, and specialist workshops are industry standard, enabling the college to deliver academic and vocational courses of the highest level.

“I am immensely proud and very excited about the college’s prospects in this amazing building.”

The new building has been created with a view to reducing its carbon footprint.

Associate architect Sean Gallagher of Newcastle-based Redbox, who designed the campus, explained: “We have tried to use natural light as much as possible to reduce the energy used and there are 110 bike spaces and several dedicated car-share spaces within the car park to encourage a healthier lifestyle for both staff and students.

“We have placed drama and music course areas in the basement, which has been examined by an acoustician so the drama facilities are very private and therefore suitable for rehearsals and performances.

“The recording studios, which are sound-proofed, are also in that area, so the whole college has been designed with the use of each separate space in mind.”

Mr Gallagher said that all the materials used in the build, which began two years ago, had been selected for their robustness in order to reduce long-term maintenance costs.

Student Jill Brown, 25, of Gateshead, is studying for a BTEC National Diploma in beauty therapy sciences.

She said she felt fortunate to be able to use facilities of such a high standard, adding: “The increase in space compared to the old Durham Road campus is just incredible. The whole set-up here is more like a university.”

Tracey White, 18, also from Gateshead, has just started a level two NVQ in beauty therapy, and said she felt the college’s new location would attract more clients and members of the community.

The college’s 500 staff are due to move in on Monday.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Place for arts and leisure

FACILITIES at the new £39m college, which will be home to 500 staff and 7,000 students, and available for community use, include:

• A 200-seat multi-functional theatre

• A free multi-storey car and bike park

• A fully-equipped business centre

• Conference and banqueting facilities

• A state-of-the art gym and dance studio

• A professional hair and beauty salon complete with spa, massage rooms and a hydrotherapy suite

• A well-stocked library and resource centre covering a wide range of full and part-time courses

• Wireless internet access throughout the building

• Several pieces of specially-selected and commissioned public art.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chance to study sci-fi

A NEW college course is about to launch this month to delight fans of science fiction.

South Tyneside College is introducing the History of Science Fiction Film, a six-week series of practical lectures which is open to all, regardless of their academic ability or experience.

Course leader Martin Charlton, 26, said: "This is a fun course with no exams or assessments, and the content should appeal to anyone interested in films or science fiction.

"It will investigate the enduring popularity of sci-fi through famous films such as The Terminator, Star Wars, Blade Runner and The Matrix.

"And we will analyse film footage, studying the impact of computer- generated graphics and look at how representations of sci-fi have changed over the years."

Mr Charlton, of Seaham, County Durham, said the course had been introduced following the success of a recent six-week course in vampire film.

He added: "If these short courses continue to be popular we may look at introducing some form of optional accreditation."

The course costs £49 and starts on February 27 from 6.30pm until 8pm. Call the college on (0191) 427-3900, or visit www.stc.ac.uk