EDITED BY DAVID ADLER

METRIC
HANDBOOK
PLANNING
AND
DESIGN
DATA
SECOND EDITION Architectural
Press
29 Higher education
CI/SfB: 72
UDC: 727.3
Uniclass: F72

KEY POINTS: 2.02 All over the world new universities are being established,
• Ex-polytechnics are being upgraded to reflect their current
university status
and existing ones enlarged. The criteria developed and published
by the UK, USA and other Western government agencies for the
• Training facilities for in-service education are increasingly
demanded
design and management of their institutions of higher education
can be used as a basis for other parts of the world. However, local
considerations may necessitate modifications:
Contents
1 Introduction • Climatic
2 Universities • countries
Socio-religious, e.g. segregation of the sexes in Moslem

3 Teaching spaces
4 Colleges of further education
5 Colleges of education
1 INTRODUCTION
Higher education is taken to mean all post-secondary education.
Table I gives the main types of institution covered in this section,
although the Open University will not be specifically detailed. No
particular institution is without its peculiarities of one sort or
another: siting, constituents or functions. What follows, therefore,
is a series of generalisations which may or may not apply in
another time or place.
Many of the building types found in higher education have their
counterparts elsewhere. Factors controlling their design will
therefore be found in other sections of this Handbook, and will not
be repeated here.
2 UNIVERSITIES
2.01 Since 1993 all the former polytechnics in the UK have
become universities. It is to hoped that in years to come they will
be able to upgrade their buildings: originally they were subject to
lower standards than university buildings.
Table I Categories of higher educational institutions
• Standard of living.
Caution is therefore needed in transposing Western source data to
projects elsewhere. It is recommended that where doubt exists to
re-synthesise space planning data from detailed net workstation
areas, in consultation with the future users or other experienced
local equivalents.
2.03 Types of university
There are three basic types of university, illustrated in UK practice
as:
• providing
Oxbridge, consisting of a number of semi-autonomous colleges
residential and catering facilities for students and
staff together with some small-scale teaching space; with an
amount of central shared facilities jointly administered. This
type is unique to Oxford and Cambridge.
• London, consisting of a number of almost independent colleges,
many of a specialist nature, each virtually self-contained
universities. There are some central services, nearly all
duplicating college facilities. This type is unique to London.
• Provincial, consisting of a number of subject departments or
faculties, and various central facilities including usually an
element of residential accommodation. This is the archetype,
and most of what follows applies to this type of university.

UK designation Features Designations elsewhere 2.04 A provincial type of university can be built in one of two
for institutions with
similar features
ways, or a combination of them:

University Full-time courses to first and University

University College
• are
Integrated and dispersed, where separate buildings and facilities
found among the local community, as and where sites
succeeding degrees
Research Polytechnic
become available. Often facilities are fitted into converted
Technical University
Specialist academy existing buildings, when space standards as described later may
College of further Full- and part-time courses to Technical college have to be modified. Otherwise, the design principles are not
education diploma level for vocational and Technical high school
recreational subjects Sixth form college different from:
Vocational training
college • Campus, where the buildings, or most of them, are arranged on
one large site.
Non-advanced further
education centre
Adult education centre

College of Full-time course for non-graduates
Education for Bachelor of Education or
equivalent
Full-time course for graduates for
Certificate of Education
Open University Courses by correspondence, also
using radio and television
Summer schools and evening
tutorials at other educational
establishments borrowed for the
purpose
Staff accommodation as for
universities
No student accommodation
Teacher training college 2.05 Types of campus
When a new university or polytechnic is to be built, a development
(or master) plan is drawn up, showing how it is intended for the
institution to cope with the expected expansion over the years to
Correspondence colleges come. Expansion usually occurs by increasing the sizes of existing
departments, rather than by the establishment of many new ones
(although some new departments may be set up). There are three
ways in which a department can expand:
• Extension to its existing buildings externally, for which space
must be available
29-1
29-2 Higher education

• Displacement of adjoining departments, for which the buildings

must have been designed with flexibility in mind and
sion. The disadvantage of this scheme is that there are long
distances to be covered between facilities, and some minor

• Fragmentation over a series of separated buildings, which is

normally deplored.
• Linear, as at Surrey, 29.2, which is designed with three strips
2.07 Forms of development
The form of the initial development of the campus will reflect the
decision on methods of expansion. The common forms are:
functions such as parking, lavatories and refreshments have to
be repeated at each ‘nucleus’,
containing residential, general and academic accommodation
respectively. These strips can be extended at either end, and the
academic accommodation is designed for easy conversion,
enabling displacement to be facilitated

• Molecular, as at York, 29.1, where departments and facilities are

in widely separated buildings, leaving ample space for expan-
• Radial, such as Essex, 29.3, where expansion takes place all
round.

29.1 York University, a molecular type of development plan. Architects: Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall and Partners

29.2 Surrey University at Guildford, a linear development. Architects: Building Design Partnership

29.3 Essex University at Colchester, radial development. Architects: Architects’ Co-Partnership
2.08 Building types
The main types of buildings are shown in 29.4, which also
indicates where information can be found elsewhere in the
Handbook. The form of the campus will also be determined by a
number of important policy decisions regarding these buildings.
2.09 Non-specialist teaching building policy
Most departments will have their own seminar and tutorial rooms,
and may even use academic staff offices for such functions. A
policy on whether departments should have their own lecture
theatres, classrooms or even libraries must be established. In most
new universities such facilities are usually shared between some or
all departments for more economy of usage.
2.10 Residential accommodation policy
Students may live:
• InIn accommodation provided by the university on-campus
• In accommodation provided by the university off-campus
• In lodgings, with or without meals
• number rented accommodation, usually shared between
privately a with the communal catering service. This can be:
• At home (in their parents’ house).
Before constructing students’ accommodation it is usual to
conduct a survey of lodgings and rentable accommodation in the
locality. When doing this it is important to estimate other demands
on such resources: other higher educational establishments,
specialist industrial enterprises, etc. From such surveys, it can be
Higher education 29-3
determined what number of students will need to have accom-
modation provided directly or indirectly by the university. Of this
number, some may be situated on-campus, although there are
arguments for and against such accommodation:
Advantages
• Savings of time and money in travel
• Ability to prepare all meals oneself
• Reduction in private study facilities in other university buildings
• Propinquity to library, etc. over weekends.
Disadvantuges
• Mutual disturbance by noise, etc.
• Lack of contact with locality
• Need for parking facilities for students’ vehicles on campus.
The types of accommodation that might be provided are given in
29.4. Further information on this can be found in Chapter 34.
2.12 Catering policy
The third policy decision affecting campus shape is concerned
• Completely centralised preparation and consumption (one large
kitchen and dining room)
• kitchen,
Centralised preparation, dispersed consumption (one large
separated dining accommodation)
• often specialising
Dispersed preparation and consumption (separate dining rooms,
in different kinds of food and catering, each
with its own kitchen).
29-4 Higher education

Campus

Academic Buildings

Teaching Spaces Library Staff offices &

research spaces
Specialised accommodation Non–specialised accommodation
laboratories for science, technology & tutorial rooms (see Chapter (see Chapter 11-
engineering (see Chapter 30–Laboratories) seminar rooms (see 3.04) 32–Libraries) Offices)
workshops for crafts & engineering classrooms
art studios lecture theatres (see 3.05 and
drawing offices (see Chapter 11–Offices) Chapter 20–Auditoria)
language laboratories

Computer centre

Administrative buildings Residential buildings Amenity buildings & spaces

'Senate House' (may be wholly or off-campus) (some may be off-campus)

(see Chapter 11–Offices)
study bedrooms + shared
sanitary & kitchen/utility
accommodation
(see Chapter 34 Student housing)
2 person flats for married students
2 & 4 person flats for sharing
family dwellings for students & /or
staff with children (preferably off-
campus)
(see Chapter 33–Houses and flats)
cafeterias & restaurants (see Chapter 18–
student union & bars Eating & drinking)
sports centres (see Chapter 25–Indoor sports)
sports fields (see Chapter 24–Outdoor sports)
swimming pool (see Chapter 22–Swimming)
boathouse (see Chapter 23–Boating)
cultural centre for music/drama (see
Chapter 20–Auditoria/theatres)
chapel & chaplaincy centre (see
Chapter 27–Places of worship)
shops (see Chapter 13–Retail trading)
health centre (see Chapter 16 –Primary
health care)
bank (see Chapter 14–Payment offices)

29.4 Schematic diagram of a university campus

Goldsmith wing
available for other
uses/letting
4th floor gallery Goldsmith wing
and new library provided with own
learning centre entrance from
Exhibition road
area b extension

area a extension

new plant room,

roof and refurbishment
new landscaped
areas in Aston Webb
pedestrian court
above area c, new
teaching space, over
4th floor replacement upgraded workshops
(in proposal one) at level 1 (area d)

lift & staircase extended

to serve all levels
enhanced entrance and
ramp connecting to deck

29.5 Royal School of Mines, Imperial College, London. A feasibility study. Architects: RMJM
 Higher education 29-5

office

north
conference
residential

existing
woodland

restaurant &
recreation

office sports

training

0 20 75 m

29.6 British Telecom Training Centre, Milton Keynes. Architects: RMJM

Table II Space standards for universities

Staff offices and Administrative, technical Classrooms, seminar

research spaces and secretaries rooms, etc.

TEACHING AREAS
2
1 Arts, social sciences, mathematics, architecture 1.55 m /student 0.5 m2 /student 2
0.65 m /course student
2 Science, engineering science, electronics 4.35 0.45 0.35
3 Engineering 4.50 0.45 2.4
4 Preclinical medicine 3.80 0.45 0.35
5 Clinical medicine 6.15 1.0 0.35
6 Clinical dentistry 5.05 1.0 0.35

Additional areas for specialised accommodation:

1 Languages and social psychology 0.8 m2 /course student 0.8 m2 /research student
Mathematics 1.1 1.1
Education, traditional geography, archaeology 2.7 2.7
Scientific geography 5.5 5.5
Experimental psychology 6.9 6.9
Architecture 6.55 6.55
Music (departments of 50 students only) 7.5 7.5
2 Laboratories and ancillary accommodation for:
2 2
Biology 5.0 m /course student 15.2 m /research student
Physics, engineering science, electronics 4.9 13.8
Chemistry 5.0 14.25
2 2
3 Engineering laboratories, workshops, preparation, storage 3.95 m /course student 14.3 m /research student
2
4 Preclinical medicine teaching laboratories: multi-disciplinary 7.50 m /course student
anatomy 1.88 m2 /course student
5 Clinical medicine reasearch space including ancillaries 16.0 m2 /research student
6 Clinical dentistry: teaching laboratories including ancillaries 5.0 m2 /course student
2
research and writing-up space including ancillaries 11.0 m /research student
2
Additional space in association with lecture theatres for for between 3000 and 6000 students 450 m
audio-visual facilities: allow for TV studio accommodation and over 6000 students (provides second studio) 40 m2
ancillaries (see Chapter 19)

Balance areas for general teaching areas excluding workshops 40%

for workshops 25%
for academic staff workrooms 50%
for non-academic staff workrooms 40%

LIBRARIES
2
Basic provision: 1 reader space for 6 students 0.40 m /student
books: 3.8 m run of shelving/student 0.62 m2 /student
2
administrative and support facilities 0.2 m /student
Total (say) 1.25 m2 /student

Additional area in law schools to provide 1 reader space for 2 students 0.80 m2 /student
2
Additional area for book stacks to accommodate excess of 0.20 m /student
accessions over withdrawals for ten years
Additional area for special collections of books, manuscripts or as required
pamphlets
Addition for reserve store, separate from main library 50 m2 plus 3.5 m2 /1000 volumes
Balance area 25%

ADMINISTRATION
2
For central administration, including Senate House, conference up to 3000 students 450 m
room, committee rooms additional students 0.35 m2 /student
2
For maintenance depot, including central stores and workshops, up to 3000 students 0.25 m /student
but excluding furniture stores additional students 0.15"
Balance area 50%
29-6 Higher education

Table II (Continued)

AMENITY BUILDINGS
Restaurants and cafeterias Dining areas (based on 60% usage) 0.2 m2 /student
Kitchens, etc 0.17 m2 /student
or can be calculated:
Kitchen area:
for 3 main meals including breakfast 0.45 m2 /meal/sitting
2
1 meal per day 0.4 m /meal
cooked snacks 0.3 m2 /snack
coffee and sandwiches 0.1 m2 /snack
balance area for catering spaces 25%
Communal and social areas 2
students 0.7 m /student
academic, senior administrative and research staff (excluding 0.l9 m 2 /student
medical schools)
ditto in medical schools (0.30)
non-academic staff 0.16
2
Total 1.05 m /student
Total in medical schools 1.16 m2 /student
2
large hall or space for use in conjunction with social space 450 m
between 3000 and 6000 students
balance area for communal spaces 30%
2
Students’ Union offices and administration up to 3000 students 0.15 m /student
2
additional students 0.02 m /student
Sports facilities
Indoor sports (see section 27) up to 3000 students 0.47 m2 /student
additional students up to 6000 0.13 m2 /student
2
additional students 0.02 m /student
Outdoor sports (see section 28)

Grass pitches, playing fields up to 3000 students 28 m2 /student

additional students 14.5 m2 /student
2
Pavilion and groundsman’s store up to 3000 students 0.18 m /student
additional students 0.10 m2 /student
Health services (see Chapter 16)
2
Simple consultancy suite for doctor and nurse treatment based up to 3000 students 0.03 m /student
on NHS provision for a group practice to service an equivalent additional students 0.015 m2 /student
number of patients

Dental services are only provided if unavailable locally

A central sickbay may be provided unless located within residential accommodation 2 beds/1000 students
Complete health service, including dentistry up to 3000 students 0.10 m2 /student
additional students 0.03 m2 /student

RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION where provided (for students)

Medium-rise buildings with no lifts 420 students/hectare
High-rise buildings 600 students/hectare
Allocations of space study bedrooms 8.4–13 m2 /place
ablutions 1.21 m2 /place
2
storage 0.54 m /place
amenities 1.0 m2 /place
utilities 0.5 m2 /place
2
communal space 0.65 m /place
balance area for circulation 25%
additional area for self-catering dining and kitchens 1.2–1.7 m2/place
Where a warden is in residence, allow for warden’s residence 107–120 m 2 /place
offices for warden 9.3 m2
domestic bursar 9.3 m2
secretary 7.0 m2
2
porter 6.5 m
2
records 5.6 m
2
In independent housing with self-catering study bedroom 9.3 m
ancillary 1.5 m2
amenity 2.2 m2
balance 3.0 m2
2
Total 16.0 m

Dispersed facilities can be centred on residential buildings to 2.13 Space standards

resemble Oxbridge colleges, as at York; or can be distributed at Allocations of space for different functions cannot be made to rigid
random as at Surrey. Design details for catering can be found in rules, as each circumstance will be specific. However, the figures
Chapter 18. in Table II can be used as an initial design guide.

2.13 Existing buildings 2.14 Part-time students

Much work needs to be done on refurbishing, converting and
extending existing buildings for university and other educational
use. 29.5 shows one such scheme.
2.14 Training centres
There is an increasing requirement for facilities for in-service train-
ing of staff in industrial, commercial and governmental organisa-
tions. The buildings for the BT Training Centre are shown in 29.6.
Not all students, even in universities, will be full time. Various
forms of higher education are intended to keep the student from
becoming completely divorced from the real world of industry and
commerce to which he or she will return at the end of his course.
Table III gives the forms of part-time involvement common in
the UK, and the equivalent full-time student (FTE) factor to be
taken in connection with the space standards in Tables II, VI and
VII.
 Higher education 29-7

Table III Part-time students of 80 per cent. What number of teaching spaces should be
provided?
Type of student/description Full-time equivalent
(FTE) for planning Ns = 200, H s = 10, H w = 40 and F = 80
purposes
hence N t = 200 × 10/40 × 100/80 = 63 spaces.
Full-time student
Has no other occupation. Probably attends minimum
20 hours a week. May live in 1
3.03 Areas of teaching spaces
The areas required for various forms of teaching accommodation,
Thick sandwich student
Attends full-time for three academic years in rota but related to teaching spaces rather than to total student population,
works in industry for at least a year during the period 1 are given in Table V.
Thin sandwich student
Attends full-time for six months, works in industry the
3.04 Tutorial and seminar rooms
other six months including the long vacation. Repeats as
long as necessary 1 Tutorials often take place in academic staff offices. Some prefer
Block release student special rooms for the purpose, 29.7. Seminar rooms are shown in
While being trained in industry (eg an apprentice) attends 29.8.
full-time for a block of three or four months 1/3

Part-time day student

Attends one day a week plus two or more evenings 2/9
Table V Usable area per working space for teaching accommodation (for
Evening student balance areas see Table VII under ‘Teaching Space’)
Only attends in evening No allowance

Non-specialised
Tutorial rooms
Rooms with informal seating 1.85 m2 /space
2
Rooms with tables or desks 2.30 m /space
2.11 Balance area Rooms with demonstration area
2
2.50 m /space
The areas given in Table II are mainly net usable areas. To these Lecture theatres
2
Rooms with close seating 1.00 m /space
have to be added balance areas, given as a percentage of the net Drawing offices: A1 and smaller
2
3.70 m /space
usable area: A0 and bigger 4.60 m2 /space

Net usable area + balance area = gross area Laboratories

2
Advanced science and engineering 5.60 m /space
Balance area includes allowance for corridors and stairs,
Non-advanced science and engineering 4.60 m2 /space
entrance foyer, enquiry counter, cloakrooms, locker spaces,
Management and Business Studies
lavatories, cleaners’ stores, maintenance workshops, gardeners’ Work study 4.60 m2 /space
stores, boiler rooms, electricity sub-stations and meter rooms, Typewriting 3.20 m2 /space
2
Accounting 2.80 m /space
delivery bays, porters’ rooms, plant rooms, service ducts. The
Workshops
percentage allowances for balance area are given in the appropriate
Crafts involving large-scale machines and equipment, eg welding,
places in Table II. motor vehicles, machine tools 8.40 m2 /space
Crafts requiring workbenches and smaller scale machines and
equipment, e.g. carpentry, plumbing, electrical 5.60 m2 /space
Craft rooms, e.g. dressmaking, cookery 5.60 m2 /space
3 TEACHING SPACES

3.01 Density of academic development

The numbers of students that can be accommodated on a campus
are given in Table IV.
1800
1800

Table IV Density of facilities for academic areas

Plot ratio Number of students per hectare

2000 2000

Art based Science and technology 29.7 Two types of tutorial rooms

0 . 5 :1 . 0 395 200
l . 0:1 . 0 790 400
1 . 5 :1 . 0 1185 600
2 . 0 :1 . 0 1580 800
1975 1000 storage desk
2 . 5 :1 . 0

display
3.02 Teaching places
The numbers of teaching places that will be required for any type
7000

of institution can be calculated from the following formula:

Nt = N s × H s / H w × 100/F seminar

where N t = number of teaching places required

Ns = number of students
Hs = hours per week per student in the accommodation
Hw = total number of available hours a week for the individual study
accommodation
F = net utilisation factor

Example: 5600
200 students require an average of 10 hours a week of lectures
in a working week of 40 hours and assuming a net utilisation factor 29.8 A seminar room
29-8 Higher education

Table VI Space standards for colleges of further education Table VII Space standards for colleges of education

Teaching spaces Teaching space

see para 3 2
Total space provided 4.65 m /student
2
tutorial/seminar rooms 13.5 m /staff member excluding
principal and vice-principal
Libraries 2
lecture rooms: first 100 places 1.1 m /student
colleges with 30% colleges with less than
additional spaces 0.9 m2 /student
advanced work 30% advanced work
2 general teaching rooms 1.85 m2 /student
first 500 FTE students 390 m 300 m2
2 2 additional area for storage 10%
additional FTE students 0.44 m /student 0.38 m /student
balance areas: general teaching spaces 40%
balance area 25%
academic staff workrooms 50%
non-academic staff workrooms 40%
Non-teaching areas for the following:
Libraries
principal’s and vice-principal’s rooms
including private study areas
registrar’s and departmental heads’ rooms 2
*first 200 students 1.1 m /student
main offices
additional students 0.95 m2 /student
rooms for principal’s and departmental heads’ secretaries
balance area 25%
offices for welfare and advisory services
building maintenance officer’s room Non-teaching areas see colleges of further education
interview room
Communal areas
enquiry kiosk see universities and polytechnics
students’ residences
porter’s room
bookshop
medical room *approximation to complex formula
storage for the above at 15%
2
*up to 500 FTE students 255 m
2
500 to 2500 FTE students 0.128 m /student
additional students 0.05 m2 /student
2
academic staff rooms (other than departmental heads) 0.36 m /student
2
non-academic staff allocated to departments 0.20 m /student
Balance areas: administrative 50%
academic staff workroom 50%
non-academic staff workroom 40%
communal 30%

Communal accommodation
for the following:
physical recreation including changing rooms
student and staff common rooms
students’ union/staff association
music/indoor sports
storage for the above
*up to 500 FTE students 590 m2
500 to 2000 FTE students 0.42 m2 /student
2
additional FTE students 0.14 m /student
additional area for full-time and sandwich course
students who make fuller use of the facilities 0.5 m2 /full-time/
sandwich student
2
dining rooms, allow for quarter to half of student body 1.12 m /space
cooking and service areas, see universities
Student common rooms 0.75 m2 /student
Staff common rooms 2
1.85 m /member
29.9 Homerton College, Cambridge, Teacher Training Facility.
Lockers, baths, showers, laundry/drying space for Architects: RMJM
day/lodging students 0.9 m2 /student
2
(A single-sex changing room is about 74 m )
Balance areas: communal 30%
catering 25%

Residential accommodation
see universities and polytechnics

*approximation to complex formula

3.05 Lecture theatres 4 COLLEGES OF FURTHER EDUCATION

These are expensive facilities which are often under-used.
They range in size from large classrooms accommodating 50
students to large theatres for 500. However, investigation has
shown that the common lecture group is between 30 and 60, so
the larger sizes are appropriate only when conference facilities
are needed, or where use as an assembly hall or cinema is also
envisaged. Further details of lecture facilities will be found in
Chapter 20.
These have a higher proportion of part-time and evening students.
Areas for teaching spaces must therefore be calculated by the
method in para 3.02. Areas for other facilities will be found in
Table VI.
5 COLLEGES OF EDUCATION
Space standards for institutions training teachers are given in Table
VII. One such is shown in 29.9.
METRIC HANDBOOK
PLANNING AND DESIGN DATA
Edited by DAVlD ADLER BSc DIC DEng MICE Civil Engineering Consultant

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