The University of Otago is using international consultants to help research and prepare campus master plans to guide development of the university's campuses in Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington.
The respective plans aim to establish a "cohesive framework" to guide new initiatives and ensure the campuses remained outstanding environments for students and staff, organisers said.
Specialists from international learning and environment consultants DEGW will discuss the future of learning and research environments, and potential links with the Otago plans, at a public lecture this week.
As part of extensive consultation in developing the plans, Andrew Harrison, DEGW UK's global director of learning and research, and Steven Smith, the firm's director of architecture and urbanism, will give the lecture, titled "Exploring the Future University", at 6.30pm tomorrow, at the university's St David Lecture Theatre.
Vice-chancellor Prof David Skegg will introduce the lecture, which will be followed by a question and answer session, with the audience invited to comment.
Organisers said the University of Otago had been evolving since the 1870s, when the first purpose-built buildings had been constructed on the Dunedin site.
Two major plans, completed in 1972 and 1980, had subsequently guided the growth of the Dunedin campus over the past 30 years.
"However, much has changed at the university in this time and an updated campus master plan is now urgently required," organisers said.
The university's Christchurch and Wellington campuses were established during the 1970s, on the grounds of Christchurch and Wellington Hospitals.
Since then, the university's activities had grown significantly both within and around these sites, and a master plan was now required to guide future development and "ensure that facilities continue to enable world-class teaching and research", organisers said.
The campus master plan would prioritise investments in land, buildings, infrastructure and landscaping that supported new developments and met the university's sustainability goals.
A framework for long-term development and high-quality design would be created.
Consultants from Dunedin firm Architectural Ecology, New Zealand consultancy e Cubed Building Workshop, and international specialists from Space Syntax will also be involved.
University executives and other leaders, staff members, students, and the community will be consulted, with the plans submitted to the university's governing council next January.
The Dunedin City Council would also be closely involved to ensure the plan delivered benefits to the wider Dunedin area, organisers said.
