UEA’S NET ZERO VISION

Love it or hate it, the practical and, in the 1960s, radical medium of concrete seems a suitable foundation for the progressive values upon which the University was established.

Most of us are familiar with UEA’s campus. This masterpiece of 60s brutalism blends modernist concrete blocks with the soft rolling green of the surrounding landscape. Architect Denys Lasdun’s vision of a space to prompt encounters is still relevant today. That wonderful sense of community, along with the now Grade II listed Teaching Wall and Grade II* listed Ziggurats, remains alive at UEA.

The Future Of Uea

But 60 years on, the original structures are deteriorating. Urgent repairs and refurbishments are needed to preserve and protect these buildings to make them safe and fit for purpose for future generations.

Our next capital fundraising project will see Lasdun’s iconic Teaching Wall, which runs like a spine through the centre of campus, restored after more than half a century. As part of UEA’s long-term Campus Development Plan, new learning spaces will be created, merging the latest educational technology with sustainable, energy-efficient surroundings.

The current phase will see the repurposing of Arts Building 3 at the Eastern end of the Lasdun Wall. The current structure will be transformed with the addition of a new science block, in keeping with the initial aesthetic while featuring cutting-edge facilities. Here, our present and future researchers will continue to make the sort of discoveries that have already put UEA in the global top 1% of research institutions for collaborative research.

A New Home For Climate Research

In the depths of Building 3, a new and exciting project is taking shape. The Centre for Oceans, Organisms and Life (COOL) will take UEA’s world-leading climate change research to the next level.

COOL will be unique in the UK. This centre will bring together UEA’s leading academics in a shared collaborative workspace for the first time in UEA’s history. It will allow us to capitalise on the expertise within UEA’s Faculty of Science, promoting the exploration and understanding of the world around us, from the largest oceans to microbes. Our findings will inform climate policies worldwide during this critical decade for our planet. UEA reseachers will collect data from the frozen polar regions, and measure the effects of Saharan sand on the oceans. We will examine how nutrients and trace metals in our oceans might have a significant impact upon life, and investigate the challenge of the global biodiversity emergency.

COOL will provide global policymakers with the tools they need to meet these challenges. The centre will continue to make discoveries that have a real impact on all our lives and the future sustainability of the planet.

Work on The Centre for Oceans, Organisms and Life will coincide with UEA’s 60th birthday in September 2023 –a significant milestone for the university.

Philanthropy Plays A Vitally Important Role

Campus development has always been at the heart of our supporter community. Philanthropy has helped secure the

Philanthropy Has Been At The Heart Of Uea

SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1963.

past and future of our campus. Historic buildings have been transformed, state-of-the-art facilities have been created and the foundations have been laid for generations to come.

As we enter our 60th year, UEA has created a clear vision of what the University of 2030 should look like. By growing our campus and providing the best facilities and most technologically advanced learning, we will be investing in the future to build on our strong foundations. Our Campus Development Plan will enable essential improvements to be made to the thermal performance of the building, which will in turn significantly reduce operational carbon and is the University’s only route to achieve net zero carbon.

The Centre for Oceans, Organisms and Life is the latest in a long line of projects supported by the generosity of trusts and foundations. Their input has been crucial throughout the University’s 60-year history, from our founding donors in the 60s to these new plans to make our campus sustainable for the future.

Thank You To Our Generous Supporters

Fundraising for campus development will continue to be of vital importance as the University continues to evolve. Philanthropic giving allows UEA to maintain its historically significant campus, whilst providing cutting-edge research and teaching facilities to compete at the highest level, both nationally and internationally.

Philanthropy has been at the heart of UEA since it was founded in 1963. We are eternally grateful to our entire supporter and donor community for their continuing support of the University’s work.