Building Schools with the University of Reading
Students from the University of Reading’s school of School of Construction Management and Engineering have graduated with more than a degree this year, they’ve also created a legacy in Africa.
Vice Chancellor Sir David Bell, Prof Gavin Brooks PVC, Associate Dean, Head of School, Ian Stapleton the UK Director and founder of Football Gambia joined staff and students at the University of Reading for a morning’s showcase celebration of achievements.
127 students were given just four weeks in their second year of their Building and Quantity Surveying BSc’s to think beyond conventional UK construction methods and develop innovative sustainable designs for a village on the north-east coast of Gambia.
24 teams of students teamed up with UK based charity, Football Gambia, to provide building plans using locally sourced materials for the rural village of Cheesay. Working with residents, the Reading undergraduates competed to provide designs for a sustainable primary school, housing 150 children, plus a community centre, nursery and kitchen garden.
Co-ordinator Dr Tabarak Musa Awad Ballal, Director of Undergraduate Programmes
at the university’s School of Construction Management and Engineering has ensured the development programme, the first in the region, has stood economic as well as academic rigour :
“ Emerging generations of construction professionals will need an ever widening awareness of the environments in which they work . At Reading we pursue a theory with practice approach both with stakeholder partnerships and between our various schools of expertise, such as our centre for climate change. The Gambian programme is a first step in achieving our aim for our students to find out and question current sustainable building practices and pass on their knowledge to communities globally.”
Founder of charity Football Gambia, Ian Stapleton has been working with Reading for a year :“Our partnership with the University of Reading has really helped us to achieve sustainable improvements in Cheesay, to a high standard and we were really impressed with the results as were the elders of the village.”
Winning team, Global Construction Solutions (GLS) were one of six teams achieving over an 80% score were marked on costings, co-organisation and research:
“The reality of building with little or no resources was a real challenge,” says Chester Jones, a 34 year old Quantity Surveying graduate and team winner from Harrow “We are particularly proud of our roof design that provided smart air conditioning. My colleague, spent an unnatural amount of time looking at the benefits of existing compostable toilet design with increasing frustration so we ended up designing our own!”
The five winning team have been inspired with the project and intend to spend their £500 prize money towards visiting the village early next year to witness the completion of phase one.
This year, 88% of University of Reading graduates who were available or looking for work/study are either in employment, in further study or taking up voluntary or unpaid work opportunities. Of those, 75% are in professional or positions six months after graduating.
This year, 88% of University of Reading graduates who were available or looking for work/study are either in employment, in further study or taking up voluntary or unpaid work opportunities. Of those, 75% are in professional or positions six months after graduating.
-ends-
Notes to editors
About University of Reading
The School of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Reading is the UK's top-graded institution for research into management of the built environment and several teaching staff are world leaders in their field. Research findings are delivered directly to our students, providing a unique learning experience across the individual subject areas.
For more information visit http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/Departments/ug-ConstructionBuildingandSurveying.aspx
By Anju Sarpal
Media and PR Officer
University of Reading (July 2013)
Vice Chancellor Sir David Bell, Prof Gavin Brooks PVC, Associate Dean, Head of School, Ian Stapleton the UK Director and founder of Football Gambia joined staff and students at the University of Reading for a morning’s showcase celebration of achievements.
127 students were given just four weeks in their second year of their Building and Quantity Surveying BSc’s to think beyond conventional UK construction methods and develop innovative sustainable designs for a village on the north-east coast of Gambia.
24 teams of students teamed up with UK based charity, Football Gambia, to provide building plans using locally sourced materials for the rural village of Cheesay. Working with residents, the Reading undergraduates competed to provide designs for a sustainable primary school, housing 150 children, plus a community centre, nursery and kitchen garden.
Co-ordinator Dr Tabarak Musa Awad Ballal, Director of Undergraduate Programmes
at the university’s School of Construction Management and Engineering has ensured the development programme, the first in the region, has stood economic as well as academic rigour :
“ Emerging generations of construction professionals will need an ever widening awareness of the environments in which they work . At Reading we pursue a theory with practice approach both with stakeholder partnerships and between our various schools of expertise, such as our centre for climate change. The Gambian programme is a first step in achieving our aim for our students to find out and question current sustainable building practices and pass on their knowledge to communities globally.”
Founder of charity Football Gambia, Ian Stapleton has been working with Reading for a year :“Our partnership with the University of Reading has really helped us to achieve sustainable improvements in Cheesay, to a high standard and we were really impressed with the results as were the elders of the village.”
Winning team, Global Construction Solutions (GLS) were one of six teams achieving over an 80% score were marked on costings, co-organisation and research:
“The reality of building with little or no resources was a real challenge,” says Chester Jones, a 34 year old Quantity Surveying graduate and team winner from Harrow “We are particularly proud of our roof design that provided smart air conditioning. My colleague, spent an unnatural amount of time looking at the benefits of existing compostable toilet design with increasing frustration so we ended up designing our own!”
The five winning team have been inspired with the project and intend to spend their £500 prize money towards visiting the village early next year to witness the completion of phase one.
This year, 88% of University of Reading graduates who were available or looking for work/study are either in employment, in further study or taking up voluntary or unpaid work opportunities. Of those, 75% are in professional or positions six months after graduating.
This year, 88% of University of Reading graduates who were available or looking for work/study are either in employment, in further study or taking up voluntary or unpaid work opportunities. Of those, 75% are in professional or positions six months after graduating.
-ends-
Notes to editors
About University of Reading
The School of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Reading is the UK's top-graded institution for research into management of the built environment and several teaching staff are world leaders in their field. Research findings are delivered directly to our students, providing a unique learning experience across the individual subject areas.
For more information visit http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/Departments/ug-ConstructionBuildingandSurveying.aspx
By Anju Sarpal
Media and PR Officer
University of Reading (July 2013)
