Not RAG week

Webbs

?Cee?view wrote: »

You're right. The wing housing the Presidents office is pretty palatial.

An awful pity that the whole Quad excludes students and the vast majority of academics.

The Quad was designed for small numbers of people 150years ago and would not be fit for purpose for student activities be it teaching or research. Physiology were housed there until recently as an example, in lab spaces that looked like they were out of the 19th century and no amount of refurbishing would be able to bring it up to a 21st century space.
Just because a building looks nice on the outside doesnt mean its nice or functional on the inside.

The spaces in the quad are on the whole small cramped offices that are inefficient to heat, with some spaces for training, meeting rooms, staff club space etc.

I had maths tutorials in the Quad many years ago. It reminded me of the old building in my secondary school.

It physically isn't very big or very accessible.
Leave it for the visitors to the site rather than trying to adapt it for labs or classes or whatever.

?Cee?view

Webbs wrote: »

The Quad was designed for small numbers of people 150years ago and would not be fit for purpose for student activities be it teaching or research. Physiology were housed there until recently as an example, in lab spaces that looked like they were out of the 19th century and no amount of refurbishing would be able to bring it up to a 21st century space.
Just because a building looks nice on the outside doesnt mean its nice or functional on the inside.

The spaces in the quad are on the whole small cramped offices that are inefficient to heat, with some spaces for training, meeting rooms, staff club space etc.

Agreed with all of that, but the argument for having the space occupied by staff is no stronger than having it open to students or academics.

It's the iconic building of the University. There is one space that's used for guests, the Aula, but why not have more accessible spaces? Granted, it's not right for labs or modern lecture theatres, but surely it could be a welcoming accessible space to the University. After all, an old factory shed can be turned into the an architecturally award winning theatre! http://www.riai.ie/news/article/galway_project_irelands_favourite_building_at_riai_irish_architecture_2017

Many here will remember before the current College Bar was built (another unsuitable factory shed), when the Quad was welcoming to students and visitors and the College Bar was where HR and some accounts functions are now housed.

Webbs

?Cee?view wrote: »

Agreed with all of that, but the argument for having the space occupied by staff is no stronger than having it open to students or academics.

It's the iconic building of the University. There is one space that's used for guests, the Aula, but why not have more accessible spaces? Granted, it's not right for labs or modern lecture theatres, but surely it could be a welcoming accessible space to the University. After all, an old factory shed can be turned into the an architecturally award winning theatre! http://www.riai.ie/news/article/galway_project_irelands_favourite_building_at_riai_irish_architecture_2017

Many here will remember before the current College Bar was built (another unsuitable factory shed), when the Quad was welcoming to students and visitors and the College Bar was where HR and some accounts functions are now housed.

There would rightly be uproar if the University spent a huge amount of money on refurbishing and changing the use again of the Quad for guests. It would never be a suitable or large enough space for student, and academics would want to be at their site of research and teaching not in a disconnected building.

Academics and Students want new modern fit for purpose spaces something the quad cant give. Leaving it as it is a space for some of the management of the Uni makes most sense.

I'm no civil engineer but its a very different proposition turning a large shed like space into something useful than a warren of rooms in an old structure like the quad which is possibly listed?

Mrs OBumble

?Cee?view wrote: »

An awful pity that the whole Quad excludes students and the vast majority of academics.

No one is excluded from the quad - it's open most of the time, and anyone can stroll or wheel in there and enjoy the surroundings. There's nice grass to sit on, on sunny days and a cloister-like bit to walk in on rainy ones.

People are excluded from the buildings surrounding the quad, for sure. There are no lifts in the buildings, and heritage requirements mean they can't be retrofitted. As last Saturday's event in the Emily Anderson Concert Hall said "Unfortunately there is no stair-free access to this venue", so some people are excluded from the top stories of the venue (and from memory, there are even some steps to some ground floor rooms: I don't know how the heritage people feel about fitting ramps over those.

But the quadrangle is the open bit inside the buildings.

?Cee?view

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

But the quadrangle is the open bit inside the buildings.

In the absolute literal sense, yes. In the sense generally used in the University, the quad includes the buildings. In an alternative sense, the Quad in NUI Galway refers to the coterie of disconnected administrators who dictate to the rest of the University while keeping a safe distance from them.

?Cee?view

Webbs wrote: »

There would rightly be uproar if the University spent a huge amount of money on refurbishing and changing the use again of the Quad for guests. It would never be a suitable or large enough space for student, and academics would want to be at their site of research and teaching not in a disconnected building.

Academics and Students want new modern fit for purpose spaces something the quad cant give. Leaving it as it is a space for some of the management of the Uni makes most sense.

I'm no civil engineer but its a very different proposition turning a large shed like space into something useful than a warren of rooms in an old structure like the quad which is possibly listed?

Logically, you're right, however, with a bit of imagination, the University could have been developed such that the new sections where students and academics are housed isn't completely seperate from the main iconic building of the University. For instance, think of Trinity where the new buildings can be accessed through the old. Or UCC where the old is incorporated in student life. NUI Galway is pretty unique in reserving its main old building for administration and cutting off the student and academic body from it.

You're right, the building is listed and it's actually pretty badly constructed (terrible foundations among other issues) which leads to ongoing maintenance problems.

I suppose what I'm getting at is that it's unfortunate and symptomatic of many of NUI Galway's problems that a chasm has been physically developed between the senior administration and the student and academic body. For instance, why is the Vice President for the Student Experience in a corner of the Quad? Why not down near the Student Union offices? Or could the Student Union not have offices in the Quad and move HR elsewhere? Just mix it up a bit and create a more dynamic environment.