University of Kent at Medway - National honour for Medway campus

Universities at Medway's multi-million-pound campus at Chatham Maritime has achieved another top honour. The campus - which is shared between Greenwich, Kent and Canterbury Christ Church universities, plus Mid-Kent College - received a highly-prized commendation at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) awards.
The annual awards celebrate outstanding achievements in the planning and design of buildings across the United Kingdom, and seek to reward ground-breaking work which has improved the quality of life for the community.
The Medway campus won a commendation in the City and Metropolitan category.
The RTPI awards ceremony took place at the London Hilton Hotel on Thursday 8 February. RTPI judges said Universities at Medway had played a key role in the regeneration of the region. 'The partners have demonstrated a clear understanding of the importance of their work, both in the Medway area and the wider region, to provide higher education services to the local community,' they noted.
Speaking on behalf of Universities at Medway, Professor Keith Mander said this accolade from the RTPI was proof of the growing reputation of the campus. 'Universities at Medway is one of the most exciting educational projects in the country. This latest honour takes our name - and the reputation of our facilities - on to the national stage, which is where we deserve to be,' he said.
'This campus is a flagship development for the Thames Gateway. The multiversity concept on which it is based is an approach which is now being replicated elsewhere.'
The Universities partnership was one of just four finalists from the South East region to make the RTPI shortlist. It was also the only educational establishment to receive a nomination. There were three commendations and no outright winner in Universities at Medway's City and Metropolitan category.
Judges paid tribute to several of the showpiece buildings at the campus, including the Drill Hall Library and the Pilkington Building - both jointly owned and run by Kent and Greenwich universities.
The Pilkington Building opened to all students at the Medway campus in September 2006 after a multi-million-pound refurbishment. It houses a 180-seat lecture theatre, an exhibition room, a wide range of seminar rooms and a cafeteria.
Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning, will officially open the Pilkington Building in a special ceremony on 15 March.
The £8 million, Grade II-listed Drill Hall Library provides students with state-of-the-art computing and study facilities. At 184 metres in length, it is thought to be the longest library in Europe and contains more than 130,000 books, journals and other items.
The University of Kent's flagship £7 million Medway Building was also part of the bid made to the RTPI Awards judges.
This latest distinction follows hard on the heels of other architectural honours for the Medway campus. In 2006 both the Drill Hall Library and Medway Building were shortlisted for a prestigious RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Award. Both buildings then scooped top prizes at the inaugural Medway Design Awards.
Universities at Medway's entry bid to the RTPI awards was put together by real estate and project management consultancy Atisreal.
The overall winner of the RTPI's Silver Jubilee Cup - the highest award for planning in the United Kingdom - went to the London Borough of Merton for its renewable energy policy.

Email: N.J.Ellwood@kent.ac.uk