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The winners of the AUDE Awards 2023 were announced at St George's Hall in Liverpool on Wednesday 5 April, during the AUDE 2023 Conference, 'Our place in the world'. 

The AUDE Awards 2023

The AUDE Awards are an annual highlight for the association, giving us a chance to focus on some of the fantastic estates and facilities teams, and their projects, that contribute so significantly to the success of our universities, year-round. AUDE are proud to announce the ninth year of the AUDE awards. The awards highlight and celebrate the exceptional achievements of estates and facilities professionals in the higher education sector. This year our awards are sponsored by leading construction company Gleeds, and we are very grateful for their support. 

The AUDE Estates/Facilities Team of the Year Award

Winner: The University of Glasgow Campus Security Team

In the last 6 years the Campus Security Team have evolved from a traditional “peak cap wearing and locking doors” team to an award-winning 21st century service. The transition has not been easy and each and every member of staff has bought into the upskilling needed, and worked hard to complete the bespoke training supplied. With the emphasis now on delivering a “customer-centric” approach to staff, students and visitors, a hybrid strategy of using the right technology with the right amount of staff on duty to engage and communicate has been essential. The recruitment strategy was tweaked to employ staff who represented the diverse and internationally culture mix of students and staff. The stakeholders within the University of Glasgow now look to the Campus Security Team to be the first “port of call” for any safeguarding issue or potential incident.

On winning the award, Gary Stephen, Head of Security and Logistics at Glasgow, said: "
In the HE sector the security provision is evolving at a rapid pace. I am proud to say that my team are at the forefront of change and embracing technology and safeguarding strategies to enhance the student experience”.

Speaking after receiving the award, Gary Stephen, Head of Security and Logistics at the university, said: 

“In the HE sector the security provision is evolving at a rapid pace. I am proud to say that my team are at the forefront of change and embracing technology and safeguarding strategies to enhance the student experience”.

Highly commended in this category: The Estates team at the University of St Andrews

Commended in this category: The University Compliance Team at Loughborough University


The University Impact Initiative of the Year

Winner: Anglia Ruskin University – ARU Peterborough: a new university for Peterborough

A 40-year ambition for a new university has been fulfilled through partnership, innovation, and creativity. The new model is reflected across the design of the building, the campus culture, and civic leadership role. Designed from the ground up to address the need for a higher-skilled workforce across the region, the campus has already delivered impressive feedback from students, staff and the community. The University, Combined Authority and City Council, as the local delivery partners, have demonstrated the ability to collaborate for rapid project delivery. Designed and delivered during the pandemic with the additional challenge of geopolitical issues, the project retained a rapid pace and has delivered a striking building on time and within budget. The first phase is already helping to accelerate the renaissance of Peterborough as a knowledge-intensive university city and increasing civic pride. It provides a tangible example of a new model of . a pilot for ace-based innovation in left-behind cities, that could be adopted and adapted nationally. 

Speaking after receiving the award, Anglia Ruskin's Andy Lefley said: 

“I am really proud to have collected this award on behalf of the ARU Peterborough phase 1 project. It is a fantastic project, making a difference to the City of Peterborough and the surrounding districts. Thanks to the AUDE judging panel for selecting us over a really impressive field.”

Highly commended in this category: Geoexchange Heating System Decarbonisation Project at Oxford Brookes University

Also Highly Commended in this category: Collaboration between the Environmental Sustainability Team and the Strategic Change Department at the University of Liverpool

Commended in this category: ‘New Life into Old’, The Rubrics Building at Trinity College, Dublin


The AUDE Award for Reaching Higher

Winner: Nottingham Trent University - Creation of a new Nottingham Trent University campus at Mansfield by the Estates team

“At Nottingham Trent University (NTU), we’re committed to creating a ‘University of the Future’ which opens its arms to all, challenges conventions and enriches the world around us. As part of this vision, we’re creating levelling-up opportunities in the economically-challenged town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire – which is now home to our newest campus. This innovative and high-quality facility can accommodate up to 1800 students, creating new possibilities for locals to engage in courses including local HE Sports Science, Health and Allied Professions, Construction and Business, as well as progression to HNC/HND and T level courses. Achieved sustainably through £5m of refurbishing under-utilised buildings on an existing FE Campus, our initiative also reaches higher with a partnership between NTU and the college – plus wider integration with businesses and schools in the local communities.”   

Highly Commended in this category: Practical Skills Programme – Campus Support at the University of Huddersfield working with Kirklees College

Commended in this category: The Guildhall York, at the University of York



The AUDE Emerging Talent Award

Winner: Amanda Cook, the University of St Andrews

Amanda Cook, Building Management System (BMS) Engineer at the University of St Andrews, has transformed how the Estates team uses BMS to support Estate building services. She has significantly extended technical monitoringproviding remote visibility of 32000 managed items across the estate. Her achievements have enabled the team to proactively intervene when issues arise, often before end-user awareness of problems. Her improvements have reduced losses, lowered carbon, reduced operating costs, and have immeasurably improved end-user satisfaction of Estate services. Showing outstanding commitment to her own CPD, Amanda has risen rapidly from apprenticeship through to post-graduate qualified professional Engineer.  Remarkably, she has achieved this largely in her own time, whilst being the mother to a young child and while meeting a broader commitment to social responsibility with her charitable work. Her star is in the ascendency, and she demonstrates the best values and attributes of a modern Engineer and is truly worthy of this Emerging Talent Award.

Speaking after receiving the award, Amanda said: 

“It is a great honour to have been part of the AUDE Awards, which provide an exceptional platform to showcase the remarkable work being carried out in the higher education sector. Winning the Emerging Talent Award has given me a tremendous sense of confidence and validation, reaffirming that I am on the right path. This confidence will undoubtedly serve as a powerful motivator, spurring me to aim even higher and to continue my pursuit of excellence. It is worth noting that, while the award was given to me as an individual, the UoSA Estates Team played a pivotal role in supporting the transformation of our building management platform and remote monitoring capabilities.”



The AUDE Summer School Award

The residential Summer School provided a network of peer-to-peer support, and the learning had longevity, so post-event there was a written assignment, and group project work. To finish off the programme, we held a half-day virtual seminar where the groups reported back on their project work findings. The groups had two assignment titles to choose from: one looking into Big Data, the other how we can better address equality, diversity and inclusion. All our project groups did outstanding work and AUDE will take on board all the actionable points and recommendations.

Two of our Summer School teams jointly won this prize and have attended the AUDE 2023 Conference in order to present the findings of their projects. The individual winners are:

Bradley Crocker (University of Plymouth), Dominic Duffy (University of Glasgow), Eilis Foy (University of Surrey), Richard Jones (University of Oxford), Alan McNeil (formerly University of Glasgow), Jill Marlow (Nottingham Trent University), Dirk Rust (SYSPRO), Rebecca Samworth (University of East Anglia), Brendan Sexton (University of Nottingham), Colin Smith (Heriot-Watt University), and Aislinn Wood (University of Edinburgh).



The AUDE Chair’s Award for Long-Term Contribution

Winner: Mike Clark, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

This year’s AUDE Chair’s Award for Long-Term Contribution is given to Mike Clark, Director of Campus Infrastructure at Trinity College, Dublin. Mike has spent 18 years in higher education. He is a Chartered Architect who spent his early career in architectural practices before moving into estates management within the public sector in roles at the British Museum, National Gallery, and then at Bovis Lend Lease. He brought this experience to London Metropolitan University in 2005 and within 5 years had secured his first Director of Estates post at the University of Brighton. Mike has been a foundation stone of AUDE, volunteering his time as South East regional chair in 2012, he was voted by his peers into the AUDE Chair-Elect post in 2015 and took the reins leading the association in 2017. Much of what you see today, including The Big Conversation event we run annually, came from his vision and leadership, and he gave AUDE the confidence to grow and thrive.

When Mike’s term as Chair came to an end, it was time for a new challenge. In 2018 he took the position of Director of Campus Infrastructure at Trinity College, Dublin, and by no coincidence AUDE gained 11 new institutional members in the Republic of Ireland. Thanks to him, we have a thriving new regional group who enrich AUDE’s membership and give us all a great opportunity to learn and share with our peers across the water. We will be forever grateful for all he has done for AUDE, for his position as a role model to his peers and as a friend and colleague.

Mike acknowledged that whilst this was a personal award to him, it is also about the terrific support he has received from his colleagues over years, and most importantly, that from his family!

The AUDE Supplier of the Year

Winner: Hassell

It is a pleasure to announce that the first ever AUDE Supplier of the Year winner is Hassell.

Hassell has worked closely with the HE sector for many years and has a proven track record of supporting AUDE and our members. This is an architect firm where design values are shared globally by the talented architects, interior designers, landscape architects, urban designers, planners and specialist consultants who work under the Hassell banner. Their focus is on people and how to create better, more meaningful experiences. As a sector, those who have worked with them acknowledge how the Hassell team achieve this through creative, holistic thinking, a deep knowledge base and a rigorous design process.

Let’s focus on a specific example: they have worked with the University of Brighton since 2014 to deliver a strategic vision to consolidate five previously fragmented sites into a single, cohesive campus. Key buildings were also delivered as part of a phased redevelopment plan. Hassell led the design and delivery of this transformational masterplan, and the ‘Big Build’ projects at the Universities main Moulsecoomb Campus. This flagship project is Hassell’s largest masterplan for an education campus in their 80-year history. Covering 10 hectares, the masterplan features over 55,000sqm of cutting-edge buildings and infrastructure, all designed and delivered by Hassell. These include a new Business and Law School, Advanced Engineering Centre, and Mithras Student Village. A landmark footbridge connects the Campus to the local neighbourhood and the city. Hassell’s holistic scheme supports the University’s aspiration to break down the boundaries between academia, research, business, and industry to create an environment that encourages learning anytime, anywhere. And there are many more examples of exemplary work across the sector.

Speaking after collecting the award, Hassell's Julian Gitsham (Principal, Sector Leader Education and Science) said: "We are thrilled to be the inaugural winner of the AUDE Supplier of the Year Award. Thanks to AUDE for this important recognition of our transformational new campus for University of Brighton and Hassell's continuous design contribution to the Higher Education sector over the years. This achievement wouldn't be possible without our visionary clients, collaborators and talented team. Congratulations to all."

 Highly Commended in this Category: Trilogy Real Estate

AUDE Awards: Why get involved next year?

We asked former winners of the AUDE Awards why they decided to get involved. Here’s what they told us.

 

There’s real pride involved in winning an AUDE Award. It reminds us that we are part of the wider university estates community and that we can share ideas together that benefit us all. It’s great to be able to showcase projects big and small in this way. The Awards are judged by peers and that makes the recognition really meaningful. There aren’t many opportunities to celebrate achievements in this kind of way and so it is fantastic to be able to formally recognise the teams’ achievement and thank them in this way.

The University of Warwick

 

It has been great for our FM Team to be recognised for all their hard work in making a difference to our customers and the wider community including potential future students. Often we don't shout out about all the excellent stuff that we do, so when the AUDE Awards criteria fits our projects we think it is a great place to share our achievements. Winning an AUDE Award gives us a chance to celebrate success.

Edge Hill University

 

Winning and AUDE Award is recognition of the collective hard work that the team normally ‘just do’, regardless of circumstance and whatever challenge is thrown at them. To be appreciated externally helps to reinforce that the team has gone that one step further and that this is recognised. Entering for the AUDE Awards is a great way of testing your progress and ambition against others in the sector. Ultimately that helps us all by demonstrating what the standard is, so that we can all improve together. The Awards give you permission to present openly the talent and hard work that goes into delivering a first-class estates and facilities service.

Sheffield Hallam University

 

Many thanks to our 2023 sponsors for the AUDE Awards, Gleeds.


Previous Award Winners

 

AUDE Awards 2022

Sheffield Hallam University and Edge Hill University were among the winners at the 2022 AUDE awards which took place on Tuesday 5 April at the University of Birmingham.

Read about the winners

 

 

AUDE Awards 2021

Loughborough University and Nottingham Trent University were among the winners at the 2021 AUDE awards which took place on 15 April 2021 at the annual AUDE conference, due to COVID-19, the conference was held virtually.

Awards 2021

 

 

AUDE Awards 2020

University of Stirling and Lancaster University were among the winners at the 2020 AUDE awards. This year as with much as everything else, COVID-19 has hit our plans and we were unable to announce our award winners at the AUDE Conference as we usually would.

Read about the winners

 

 

AUDE Awards 2019

University of Huddersfield and the University of Northampton were among the winners at the 2019 AUDE awards which took place on 16 April 2019 at the annual AUDE conference, this year held at the Lancaster University.

Read about the winners

 

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