• Loan from Triodos Bank will finance most ambitious development in University's 180-year history.
  • New BREEAM 'excellent' building will increase teaching space by 20 per cent.
  • £30 million contribution marks Triodos Bank's first loan into the higher education sector.

Lending has today been confirmed to fund a landmark new building at the University of Winchester's West Downs Quarter. A £30m loan from Triodos Bank, Europe's leading sustainable bank, will ensure that the development, which includes a 250-seat auditorium and will increase teaching and support floor space by 20 per cent, will be completed for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The new building boasts cutting-edge sustainability features including:

  • Combined heat and power plant
  • Heat recovery systems
  • Solar photovoltaic panels
  • Rainwater harvesting
  • Green roof
  • Bat and bird boxes to promote biodiversity
  • All electricity used to power the building will be bought from renewable sources

Once complete, the building promises to achieve a BREEAM 'outstanding' rating in sustainability and contribute to the University's ambition to become the most sustainable higher education institution in the UK.

The £50m development will also feature an art gallery, café, food hall, library and social learning areas. Award-winning Winchester-based architects, Design Engine, have been commissioned to design the building, which will also house the University's Digital Futures computer and digital-related degree programmes.

Professor Joy Carter CBE DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winchester said: "We think it's incredibly important that higher education institutions take social responsibility seriously. That's why we put our ambition to be the most sustainable university in the UK at the centre of all the decisions we make. It is reflected in everything we do from the courses we offer, to the business decisions we make.

"This project - the most ambitious in our history - typifies our commitment to this cause and is made even better by receiving funding from such a like-minded and values-driven bank."

The University projects that the highly-efficient new building will help to deliver its ambitious interim 2025 carbon reduction targets, having already achieved a 45 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by floor area across its estate since 2006/07.

Rebecca Pritchard, head of business banking at Triodos Bank UK, said: "There is a huge opportunity to promote large-scale positive change in the education sector. This is our first loan to a UK university and it represents a significant moment in the bank's history by highlighting our commitment to supporting pioneering educational institutions. Higher education is a cornerstone to building a more sustainable and inclusive society, and in the coming years we are looking forward to working with more universities that are aligned with this mission."

In 2017, approximately 650,000 individuals benefited from the work of 455 education initiatives financed by Triodos Bank. However, the landmark £30 million loan represents a milestone for the bank's commitment to higher education by being the first loan made to a UK university.

-Ends-

All spokespeople are available for interview upon request.

Images of spokespeople and the Winchester development are available upon request.

For further information please contact:
Ed Grattan
07817413792
[email protected]


About the University of Winchester
The University of Winchester is a leading university for teaching excellence and was shortlisted for University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2017. Our primary and secondary initial teacher training programmes are rated outstanding by Ofsted (December 2017). Founded in 1840 the University offers undergraduate and postgraduate study on a range of subjects within the arts, humanities, social sciences, business, law, sport, education, and health and social care. The University received the British Quality Foundation UK Excellence Award 2016 in recognition of excellence across its operations. It also received the BQF Sustainable Future Achievement Award 2016 for outstanding environmental or social contribution to achieving a more sustainable world.

Visit: www.winchester.ac.uk
www.twitter.com/_UoW
www.facebook.com/UniversityofWinchester 
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About Triodos Bank 
Triodos Bank is a global pioneer in sustainable banking using the power of finance to invest in projects that are good for people and the planet. Triodos uses its €14.5 billion (2017) in assets to create social, environmental and cultural value in a transparent and sustainable way.

With UK operations based in Bristol, Triodos Bank has branches in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Germany and an agency in France. Globally, Triodos Bank has microfinance projects in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, and is a founding member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), a worldwide network of 43 banks seeking to transform finance into a vehicle of positive influence.

http://www.triodos.co.uk/
www.knowwhereyourmoneygoes.co.uk
www.twitter.com/triodosuk 
www.facebook.com/triodosbankuk