New Learning Resource Centre for St. John’s College, Durham
We have been appointed to construct the new Learning Resource Centre for St John’s College Durham. The building will;
- Improve the College’s facilities and enhance the learning experience for generations of Johnians.
- Allow the College to share its resources with other members of the University and the local community.
- Enable the College to grow and flourish as part of a top UK University.
- Enhance the College’s reputation as a centre of cutting edge ministerial and lay theological training.
- Develop the Durham World Heritage Site.
Work has been underway since the summer on the site of the new library for the College. Archaeologists are now on site and once the excavations are complete we will begin construction of the new library. The new Learning Resource Centre will operate as a working academic library and offer a new and enhanced environment for learning. Individual and group study space will be provided for students along with audio-visual equipment in flexible teaching and meeting spaces – including video conferencing facilities for joint teaching with other UK and world-wide programmes. It will offer the only purpose built, sizeable lecture space on the Bailey, suitable also for conferences and events—by other University colleges and departments, Durham Cathedral, and the wider local community. The proposed Learning Resource Centre will include teaching/learning spaces, display storage space for 30,000+ printed books, individual and shared study spaces, computers, WI-FI, audio-visual and video conferencing equipment, an exhibition area, an outside courtyard, and, importantly, the disabled access and facilities our existing library has been unable to provide. The development will open up our outstanding theological collection to scholars, clergy and the local community. The College’s current stock and anticipated expansion of Free Church literature would integrate well with Anglican and Roman Catholic collections and mark out Durham as one of the centres of church scholarship in the world.
