Some of our current students wanted to share their excitement about the project, so here are their stories…
Stephenson will be the home for people who make things work.
The project captures the building’s 70 years of heritage and transforms it into a place to engage, support, and challenge students to fulfil their true potential. From inclusive education spaces to multi-purpose teaching laboratories, the building will offer a world-class experience for students and researchers.
Stephenson will also host three extraordinary hubs for our research strengths; digital manufacturing, sustainable propulsion, and biomedical engineering.
The new Stephenson Building in development. Credit: Bowmer & Kirkland / Ben Clarkson
"My biggest aspiration as an engineer is to improve people’s standard of living through my innovations. Engineering is also the combination of three things that I liked in school which is maths, and science along with learning by doing a hands-on experiment.
"The renovation of the Stephenson Building is one of the reasons why I choose to study engineering at Newcastle University. I was first surprised by the amount of money invested in this project, but now I think it’s worth the money. Just by looking from the outside, the glass-covered design is outstanding among all the buildings on the main campus. It’s beautiful.
"I also like the idea that they try to minimize the impact on the environment by reducing the carbon footprint in the design. Moreover, there will be various facilities provided in the building such as digital learning spaces, the Maker Space, and wet and dry labs. However, one thing that I’m most excited about is the spacious co-working areas. As engineering students, we have to do a lot of group projects, so I’m pretty sure that I will be a regular user."
Aim, Mechanical Engineering, Stage 1
"I am passionate about people's health and mobility, therefore I hope to pursue a further degree in Biomedical Engineering, so I’m able to specialise in the manufacture of and research into medical machinery, such as wheelchairs or machines to help detect and treat cancer.
"I am so excited for the new Stephenson Building to open!
"The new Maker Space – a student-centered zone for interdisciplinary collaboration, creativity and entrepreneurship – is something I'm greatly looking forward to! The first year as a 'general engineering' student showed us how connected the various disciplines actually are, and thus the importance of revising and working on projects together. Our lecturers and the curriculum design already foster this, and now it's exciting that we will have a space designed just for it.
"I'd want to plan a meet-up with my first-year project team to see whether we'd like to remodel our mini-wind turbine, which was our first-year project!
"A green environment is important for us all, and personally a great passion for me, so I'm really glad that the Stephenson Building design encompasses cleaner technologies. Some of these include reducing in-use carbon through the utilisation of the CHP (Combined Heat & Power) plant and reduced heat loss using high air tightness levels.
"I’m also really excited about the investment that has gone into the building. It has become the University's biggest investment! As an engineering student, I'm so encouraged to know that the university is continually growing and providing world-class education for us all."
Babirye, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 2nd year
"Originally from Warwickshire, I aspire to be a fully chartered engineer in the future, I am and would love to inspire more young females to take this career path all over the world. I hope to be able to lead cohesive groups through large structural projects and make a difference with cutting-edge, sustainable design. I strive to always try my best, whether this is an exam in a year or building a complicated superstructure in 20 years, as my dream is that the hard work all pays off!
"One thing I am especially excited about is the redeveloped Stephenson Building at the heart of the Newcastle University campus. The new site will include student-centred spaces such as the new Maker Space which will be incredibly useful for studying and group work due to the large open spaces. Not only this, but this space promotes creativity which will be beneficial for not only engineering but many other disciplines.
"In addition to this, the Stephenson Building has cutting-edge facilities that will help lead the Electric Revolution. Sustainability is a large part of modern life and being at the forefront of this is very exciting, with leading international researchers being attracted to the university because of the steps that are being taken towards the government's carbon zero by 2050 target.
"Furthermore, I am also drawn to the modern look of the Stephenson Building, with large atriums with big visual displays' I know this will be an incredible space to learn in - with solar panels topping this off!"
May, Civil and Structural Engineering, 2nd year
Newcastle is where great innovators such as Armstrong, Stephenson, Merz and Swan developed ideas that changed the world.
Our range of engineering degrees prepares young people for a career overcoming the challenges that modern engineers face. Be part of a future steered by engineering, and help develop new robotics, machine learning, AI solutions, mobile phones, life-saving medical technology, driverless cars, and more.
With a range of programmes available, including Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Marine Engineering, Civil Engineering, and more, there’s a course for every passion. Start exploring, and choose your engineering specialism.