Pragmatics of Place Sam Williams Space Planning & Strategy Manager University of Lincoln

Brayford Pool campus, University of Lincoln

Riseholme Park campus, University of Lincoln

Pragmatics of place Effectiveness Expression Efficiency Student and staff experiences In the Learning Landscapes university, academics and estates professionals work to optimise student and staff experiences through their design and management decision-making around:  Efficiency  Effectiveness  Expression (the idea of the university) Definitions of all of the above are problematic – especially if academics and estates professionals do not share a vernacular and syntax for communication

Pragmatics of place Building on the work of the UK HE Space Management Group (2003 – 7), which was focused primarily on efficiency Pragmatics of Place aims to facilitate engagement by providing a guide to key issues and vocabulary of academic space design and management processes 1. Raise awareness of space management imperatives, preoccupations and drivers 2. Subvert the processes themselves by giving them a more academic sensibility Space Management Group research foci

Example: the cost of space Sustainable estate provision*  Operating costs such as energy, water and cleaning  Maintenance spending necessary to keep space in good condition  Depreciation, including the cost of end-of-life building replacement * HEFCE 2005/26 The cost of space

The cost of space Rent and rates Insurance Energy Water and sewage Maintenance Cleaning Estate management Security and portering Mail room Depreciation Total £ One university’s estimated 2009/10 sustainable estate provision (per m 2 of net internal area) …and this excludes the costs of capital tied up in the estate (2004/05 average £45.10 / m 2 )* * HEFCE 2005/26 The cost of space

The cost of space: illustration One university’s estimated 2009/10 sustainable estate provisions for… An estate of 60,000 m² net internal area£11.1m per annum A typical staff space( 10 m² )£1,850 per annum A typical 25-student seminar room( 50 m 2 )£9,250 per annum

Dimensionality Efficiency, effectiveness and expression are contentious words – in part because there are multiple dimensions to each. For example, “efficiency”: Costs per square metre? (SMG definition) Teaching hours per square metre (frequency)? Costs per £ of university income? Costs per graduate produced? Teaching hours per graduate produced? Study hours per degree earned?

The physical space Finishes Furniture Technologies Location Servicing Spontaneity Scheduling Availability Aspirations Pedagogy Community Terms Density Demography Focus Lifestyles Comfort Not space planning, but place planning

“With greater mobility, students have a choice in where they can work and tend to gravitate to spaces they enjoy – so quality of design matters more. New space models for educational institutions therefore need to focus on enhancing quality of life as well as supporting the learning experience.” Dugdale (2009) Space strategies for the new learning landscape Another dimension…

Vernacular and syntax: themes Complexity, not flexibility Places, not spaces Efficiency of language Academic sensibility and subversion, not managed consensus Don’t avoid the void Theorising practice: the fun theory

Pragmatics of Place Which other ‘pragmatics’ should we include?