Brighton University opens £25m building

Brighton University has celebrated the opening of a new £25 million building at its Falmer campus by using a photograph of it on the university’s official Christmas card.
The Checkland Building is home to the university’s School of Education. It also houses the languages and literature division of the School of Humanities.
Other features include a 300-seat multi-purpose hall, a 160-seat lecture theatre, an “open learning” centre, teaching rooms, computer pools, media facilities – including a TV studio – and an atrium café.
The 9,000 square metre building took 19 months to complete and opened to students this term.
It has been named after Sir Michael Checkland, the former director-general of the BBC who was chairman of the university’s board of governors from 2002 to 2006.
The building is naturally ventilated and has a combined heat and power plant. It also has a “green” roof with sedum plants to create a downland setting. This is intended to make it a living area able to absorb pollution, reduce rainwater run-off and provide habitats for wildlife.