23 June 2022 Lincoln University receives Crown funding to complete construction of flagship science facility

Confirmed by the Tertiary Education Committee (TEC) on 15 June 2022, the funding represents the bulk of the Crown funding for the new building’s construction, which is on track for completion in July 2023.

The flagship science facility will be a new fit-for-future learning and research centre located in the north-eastern quarter of campus.

The new building will feature state-of-the-art teaching, research and collaboration spaces complemented by multi-use adjustable workstations and social zones, all set within a biodiverse park-like environment.

An expansive ground-floor café will form a central hub where Lincoln University staff and students will be able to mix and mingle with campus visitors and employees from the co-located AgResearch facility, also currently under construction.

In line with the University’s sustainable infrastructure goals, the new building will have a minimal environmental impact; incorporating roof- and wall-mounted solar arrays, a ground-sourced heating/cooling system and a rainwater-fed toilet flushing system in the design.

Chief Operating Officer Susie Roulston welcomed the final TEC approval as it signalled the Government’s confidence in Lincoln University’s governance and its support for the University’s increasingly important role as a provider of world-ranked land-based education and research.

“Our new flagship science facility forms part of a suite of infrastructure assets that will ultimately deliver a spatially optimised campus, with students at its heart, where the University can provide its world-leading teaching and research within an ecosystem of social wellbeing and environmental sustainability.

“The challenges facing today’s food and fibre producers are manifold and profound, and we are proud to deliver this new facility where we can further advance our commitment to equip future generations with the skills and knowledge to shape a better future.”

Lincoln University marked the beginning of the new facility’s construction phase with a ground-breaking ceremony held on-site in February 2021.

In July of the same year the University officially opened its new agricultural sciences building at a ribbon-cutting ceremony where the Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Hon Dr Megan Woods performed the formalities.

The University’s construction partner for both facilities is Leighs Construction. Warren and Mahoney provided the design for the flagship facility and Sheppard and Rout designed the agricultural sciences building.

The two science facilities are part of Lincoln University’s wider Campus Development Programme that saw the launch in 2020 of a vibrant and bustling new student hub and a new outdoor social space featuring native plantings and a cultural heritage-inspired paved pathway.

The recently redeveloped Whare Hākinakina Lincoln University Gym was officially opened by the Minister for Sport and Recreation Hon Grant Robertson at an unveiling event held on campus in June 2021. The new Gym is central to Lincoln University’s celebrated campus experience and offers students, staff and the wider community a comprehensive array of services and equipment to develop their fitness and nourish their physical and mental health.

Further campus projects including an ambitious and extensive decarbonisation programme which supports the University’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to cease the combustion of coal by 2024, the restoration of Ivey West and Memorial Hall and an overarching visionary landscaping masterplan, are in various stages of development.

More information is available at Lincoln.ac.nz

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