King's College London newsletter
A TOAST TO THE FUTURE 1
A toast to the future/ Mr Bill Slade (College Secretary), The Principal and Dr Colin Sinnott (Thameside campus Project Director) drink to the successful conclusion of the Cornwall House negotiations which took place recently at the offices of the solicitors Herbert Smith. At the meeting, a number of documents were signed and a cheque for the lease of Cornwall House handed over.
SOCIAL F CILITIES 0 TH MESIDE C MP S
THE
summary of the Workine: Partv Report for staff information and comment As part of the planning process for Cornwall House, the Principal asked a small Working Part.y to make proposals to the Planning and Resources Committee and to the Thameside campus Project Committee about the social facilities which might be desirable, and in particular to give some thought to the space implications of what was proposed. The Working Party has now produced a Report, copies of which are available in the Common Rooms on the Strand, Kensington and Chelsea sites and in the Librarie on tho e ite . This article contains a summary of the proposals in the Report and it is hoped that members of staff will be stimulated to make comments aDd to offer suggestions. The Working Party has already consulted as many representatives as pos-
sible both formally and informally, but it is very much aware that, in such an important matter, every member of staff should have the chance to express an opinion. First, some general points. 11 those concerned are convinced that the Thameside campus presents the College with a unique opportunity to provide more generously for the social life of staff and students in King's. The quality of life in a College is vital to its morale, and it is therefore most important that in the planning process social space should not be seen as a reservoir which may be drawn upon for apparently more urgent departmental or Faculty needs. The College can at last foresee the provision of good social facilities for staff and students; the opportunity will not come again and must not be lost. The Strand site is now the centre of King's and no change to that is proposed: however, there should be no difference in the quality of those facilities which are necessary and desirable in Cornwall House. Both sites should have a visibly common identity, and natural traffic between them should be encouraged by
the dispo ition of particular resour es. King's is now a notoriously diffi ult place for the disabled; it is recommended that the archite ts hould make sure that a cess to all parts of the College is easier on both sides of the river and that suitable facilities are provided. Smoking is a question whi h arouses strong feelings; it is proposed that there should be a general policy of discouraging smoking in public pIa es whilst providing clearly identified and eparate smoking areas of a modest size. The College at the moment has a very patchy provision of cloakrooms, toilets, changing rooms, rest rooms, telephones and other services路 it is propo ed that there should be adequate and rational planning for these on both sites and that they hould be able to cope not only with ordinary College needs but with those many occasions on which large numbers of visitors come to King's. The design and quality of social facilities is important; it is recommended that the architects should not only provide them but should make them good to look at and good to use. As a measure of quality control it is suggested that all social facilities should be of such a standard that the Principal would be able to take his most distinguished guests to use them with confidence and without apology. There now follows a summary of the more detailed recommendations in the Report. In some cases - for example, Common Rooms for staff - the arrangements proposed obviously differ from those which exist. 0 criticism at all is implied of those hard-working people who promote and support social life at the moment on all the campuses; the differences have been discussed with some of them and readers are recommended to the full text of the Report in such instances. 1. COMMO
ROOMS
It is recommended that the College should
provide good Common Room facilities for all staff and tudents, and that, for staff, these should not be dependent upon belonging to a subscription club. There are also Common Rooms/Rest Rooms which are both desirable and necessary (eg for College porters, refectory staff, maintenance staff) and these too should be of a good standard. In general staff/
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