The first phase of Warwick Business School’s £30 million extension was completed this week.

Warwick Business School Dean Professor Mark Taylor was given a tour of the site by constructors Bowmer & Kirkland.

It is due to be completed in April 2015 and when the four-storey extension opens it will make Warwick one of the largest business schools in the UK.

Professor Taylor said: “It is fantastic to see the first phase of the extension completed. We shall see the new building really take shape over the next few months, which will be very exciting. This investment is an indication of our ambitions and desire to give our students the best possible education when they are here.”

“Our aim is to become the best university-based business school in Europe and this extension will go some way to helping us achieve that.”

The extension will house a 292-seat lecture theatre with a removable stage. A 120-seat lecture theatre will contain swivel chairs to allow for group work. A Behavioural Science Laboratory containing 50 computers will also be created along with a 150-seater café, nine seminar rooms, four open plan offices for its 180 management and support staff plus a new reception.

There will also be undergraduate and post-graduate learning grids, providing computers and large screens for students to work together.

 

 

 

Adam Perry, WBS project manager for the extension, said: “The first phase has now been completed, with the foundations and ground works all done. Next we will be constructing the concrete frame for the building. The environmental performance of the building is anticipated to be of the highest quality. We are hoping the new building will have energy-efficient features such as solar protection to lower heating and cooling demand.”

More than 70 academics and staff housed in the separate WBS Social Studies building will move into the new extension at the Scarman Road building. The Radcliffe car park has already been relocated to enable the construction of the extension and the creation of a new landscaped public area.

Warwick Business School, part of the University of Warwick, offers an MBA ranked in the world’s Top 25 by the Financial Times, and has around 190 academics and 180 management and support staff, attracting 6,500 students from 125 different countries around the world.

Professor Taylor added: “This extension emphasises our commitment to the very best in business teaching and research - research that will not only benefit students but local businesses and companies across the UK.”