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The University of Nottingham’s stunning new eco-friendly hotel has received a tourism and leisure award from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
The Orchard Hotel, which opened in November 2012 and is entirely funded by the University, picked up the regional award because of its outstanding contribution to tourism and leisure facilities in the region.
The RICS Awards showcase the most inspirational regional initiatives and developments in land, property, construction and the environment. Project recommendations are submitted by industry professionals to represent the best examples of work within the East Midlands area.
Outstanding achievement
As well as winning the tourism and leisure award, the University was also celebrating after being shortlisted for an unprecedented eight projects out of a total 32, covering four of the seven award categories. Two of the projects were highly commended, and a third was commended. The 2013 awards received the highest number of entries to date, making this a particularly outstanding achievement.
Chris Jagger, Chief Estates and Facilities Officer at the University said: “We are immensely proud of The Orchard because of its beautifully unique and environmentally thought out design, and so to be recognised by industry professionals for its contribution to leisure and tourism in the region is a fantastic achievement.
“We are also delighted that out of the total seven categories, that we have also been recognised in a further three, which is testament to our ongoing commitment to improving the quality of life for students and staff through developing and investing in new buildings and facilities.”
Winning projects:
• Highfield House — Highly Commended in the ‘Building Conservation’ category
• Energy Technologies Building — Highly Commended in the ‘Design and Innovation’ category
• Si Yuan Centre — Commended in the ‘Design & Innovation’ category
Designed to complement the University-owned De Vere Venues East Midlands Conference Centre next door, the £20million hotel complex provides top class accommodation on University Park with extensive facilities including a roof garden, brasserie and gym.
The hotel was built to the highest environmental standards featuring state of the art technology to minimise carbon emissions including a green roof, photovoltaic panels, energy-efficient lighting, heating and ventilation systems.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottinghamhas 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It was ‘one of the first to embrace a truly international approach to higher education’, according to the Sunday Times University Guide 2013. It is also one of the most popular universities among graduate employers, one of the world’s greenest universities, and winner of the Times Higher Education Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong and the QS World Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its research into global food security.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fundraising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…