The Abu Dhabi University (ADU) has approved the preliminary designs of the Phase 1 facilities for its new Dhs 200 million campus, having received approval from its founder and patron, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and President of the University Board of Trustees & Governors. The completion of the preliminary design represents a major step forward in construction of the campus, which is scheduled to welcome its first intake of some 5,000 students at the commencement of the September 2006 academic year.
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has fast tracked the project to achieve the deadlines. ADU Chairman, Executive Board of Governnors, Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, said it was vital to achieve early completion of the preliminary design to fix the major requirements and layout in order to complete the design and allow construction to begin. He expressed pleasure at the quality and outstanding design of the preliminary design for the new buildings, carried out by KEO International and achieved in a short period of time.
The first phase of the new campus for the rapidly growing private university has some seventy classrooms and laboratories. Separate classroom wings will be provided for the teaching of male and female students. Also included are auditoria of 1,000 seats and 350 seats, a library, student union, restaurants, gymnasium, multi-purpose hall and student clinic. Phase 1 will include the administrative headquarters of the University, a complex of offices for the teaching staff, who have been selected from all over the world to meet the high academic standards set by ADU, plus staff and student accommodations. A central services complex will provide the energy centre, main delivery and storage, central kitchens, workshops, offices and accommodation for support staff.
Upon opening, the University will provide parking for 1,400 students, separate bus and car arrival and departure facilities, all of which will be spilt into sections for male and for female students. The façade of the new university will be classical in appearance, with strong distinctive lines and quality landscaping.
Andy Blackburn is the Project Director for Mace International responsible for project management of the new campus on behalf of ADU. He said, "Great teamwork between the designers and the management of Abu Dhabi University means we continue to achieve unprecedented progress while maintaining the quality and integrity of what we are producing’’.
