Campus masterplan: re-imagining the next generation campus
Building inspiring spaces

Investing in our estate and its environment is vital. Our buildings and spaces support the creation and sharing of knowledge but also the social fabric and wellbeing of everyone – students, staff and visitors.
Our Campus Masterplan is supporting investment to create an inspiring, progressive and sustainable environment in the heart of our vibrant city.
Our mission is to advance knowledge and transform lives. Our campus must support excellence and enhance collaboration to achieve this.
Blending state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities with attractive casual and social spaces the aim is to facilitate creativity and the sharing of ideas and knowledge.
A 10-year plan for a first-class campus
Over the next 10 years, the University will be significantly investing in its campus to ensure a first-class learning, research and working environment that is centred on low carbon design, befitting of a leading university. Through a number of proposed developments, our campus will be designed for teaching, working, living and socialising in the 21st century – nurturing excellence, inspiration and creativity.
It will be a showcase for the interesting and ground-breaking work that the University undertakes. This will include the development of new teaching, learning, research, social and green spaces, as well as the maintenance and refurbishment of our existing space as we seek to enhance our sense of place and the public realm, improve navigability and promote our leading sustainability values and net zero carbon goals.
“This is a landmark project that will have a number of significant benefits for the University and wider community. Over the past decade and more, we have invested in our estate and created outstanding research and teaching facilities in the arts and health, ocean science and sustainability. This project will enable us to build on our existing expertise in engineering and design, and provide staff and students with a facility that matches their aspirations and enables them to push the boundaries in addressing real-world challenges.”
“Our proposals for the engineering and design facility will provide state-of-the-art new facilities through the sustainable re-use of existing infrastructure. Our plans take the building back to the original concrete frame – a characterful waffle-slab construction – that will be revealed by stripping out suspended ceilings and overhead services to create open and well-lit spaces to promote creativity, cross-disciplinary collaboration and wellbeing. The design has incorporated a range of complex and ambitious technical facilities, which will provide engineering and design students with the experience and skills they need to design our future.”
Professor Judith Petts CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Plymouth, said:
“These past few months have shown, if we didn’t know it already, the true importance of our NHS. As the largest provider of healthcare training in the South West, University of Plymouth staff, students and graduates have played a key role in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. This project will ensure continued delivery and indeed expansion of the vital workforce training for our hospitals and frontline healthcare services whatever health challenges present themselves in the future. It also demonstrates our commitment to, and confidence in, the city of Plymouth, helping to transform this landmark building and breathing new life into a key part of our community.”
Intercity Place has the backing of the Heart of the SW LEP, Cornwall Council, the Department for Transport and the Cabinet Office, as well as Plymouth City Council and Great Western Railway. It is a key element in the wider regeneration of Plymouth Railway Station which, when finished, will massively improve the welcome for visitors and commuters arriving in Britain’s Ocean City.
The Brunel Plaza project also involves an upgrade for the station, including improvements to the station concourse, which will double the capacity of the existing gate-line and offer better shops and facilities for passengers.
There will also be a major revamp of the surrounding area, a new hotel and multi-storey car park, improvements to public areas and enhanced links to the city centre.