Headington Hill

Update on plans to develop the Headington Hill site - February 2024

In June 2022, Oxford Brookes received planning permission for two cutting edge, sustainable buildings on the Headington Hill site.

Our vision is to create new facilities that allow our students, staff and researchers to flourish, bring the Oxford Brookes community together, boost local collaboration and help meet the needs of industry. The buildings will be the new home for the Faculty of Technology, Design & Environment’s activity currently based at Wheatley Campus.

Building work for the buildings began in January 2023 and we currently expect both buildings to open their doors in the 2024/25 academic year. With any large scale building project timescales can shift, so we will keep you informed of any changes to the completion date as the development progresses.

Image caption: North elevation of the new teaching building being constructed on Oxford Brookes' Headington Hill site.

What will the new buildings look like?

On 1 November 2023, the University marked a significant construction milestone as both new buildings on our Headington Hill site reached their highest points.

On this day, we also took the opportunity to film Gordana Collier, Head of the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, and Prescott Campbell, student and President of Oxford Brookes Racing, on the site.

In this video, Gordana and Prescott discuss their excitement for the new buildings and show us some of the recent developments.

What new facilities are being built?

As part of the transformation of the Headington Hill, which is at the heart of the Headington Campus, the University is in the process of constructing:

an innovative new teaching building
a specialist purpose-built workshop
improved outdoor spaces across the site.

These new buildings will be the new home for the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics activity currently based at Wheatley.

The facilities will also co-locate the Faculty’s Architecture, Built Environment and the School of Arts departments on one campus. Together they will bring together engineering and motorsport with creative art and design thinking, innovative applications of artificial intelligence and robotics, and converging technologies and digital innovation.

Image caption: Location of new buildings for the Headington Hill site.

Why is Oxford Brookes constructing these buildings?

3D interior image of the new teaching building for the Headington Hill site.

Oxford Brookes is committed to building an environment which supports our students, staff and partners to excel. Importantly, our campus spaces will respond to the evolving needs of the University’s community and the rapidly changing world of education.

As part of the University’s Oxford Campus Vision, we are committed to moving all remaining activity from the Wheatley Campus. Housebuilder Crest Nicholson purchased the Wheatley Campus site from Oxford Brookes in March 2023. The housing developer hopes to begin works at the end of 2024. Users of the Wheatley Campus, local residents and businesses will be kept updated on the works as they develop.

Our new teaching and learning spaces on the Headington Hill site will showcase the latest technological advances and thinking, preparing our students for their future careers in a rapidly changing world. The new buildings will help connect our students to organisations, businesses and sector pioneers, enrich teaching and learning, and boost employability.

We believe our future Oxford environment will inspire a vibrant, connected and diverse student and staff community to achieve their potential and the two new buildings on the Headington Hill site will play an important part in this.

Image caption: 3D interior image of the new teaching building for the Headington Hill site.

What are the timescales for the new buildings?

June 2022:
Planning permission granted for both the teaching building and purpose-built workshop.

November 2022:
Start of initial enabling works for both buildings ahead of construction.

January 2023:
Start of construction work for the two buildings begins.

2024/25 academic year:
When we currently expect the teaching and workshop buildings to open their doors. With any large scale building project timescales can shift, so we will keep these webpages updated with any changes to the completion date as the development progresses.

Image caption: Alternative interior 3D image of the new teaching building for the Headington hill site.

What can I expect to see in the new teaching building?

South elevation of the new teaching building being constructed on the Headington Hill site.

The teaching building will be accessible 24 hours a day and transform teaching, learning and research. Across three floors, the teaching building will include innovations such as an immersion lab for teaching, research, and industry engagement, robotics labs with industry leading equipment, 3D printing technology, and a dedicated computer suite with the latest industry-standard software for deep learning.

The building will adopt a wide range of emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR) and Augmented Reality (AR). A centre-piece will be the Virtual Reality Cave, allowing students from multiple disciplines to create virtual buildings and towns, use interactive CAD design and disassemble a Formula 1 car to test changes to its design. A central atrium and restaurant will link the teaching building’s three floors with a number of break-out spaces to support group learning and collaboration.

Flexible teaching, learning and social spaces will allow our students to fully interact with fellow students, our expert academics, support staff, businesses and local communities. Bringing together STEM and creative industries activity will help to boost the experience of those studying at Oxford Brookes, providing a real advantage when our graduates embark on their next journey. The enhanced landscaping around the building will provide dynamic outdoor social learning spaces. These will complement the Headington Conservation Area, connecting activity to the landscape.

Image caption: South elevation of the new teaching building being constructed on the Headington Hill site.

What can I expect to see in the new workshop building?

The purpose-built workshop building will provide industry-standard technical facilities for students, staff and researchers based in the Faculty of Technology, Design & Environment.

The workshop will be the home to specialist engineering equipment with state-of-the-art labs and hands-on teaching spaces. The motorsport, autolabs and mechanical engineering facilities currently based at our Wheatley Campus will be located in the building.

The dynamic, flexible workshop space in the centre of the building will link to the more specialist workshops. Having daily access to workshop, lab spaces and modern specialist equipment will enhance our students’ teaching and learning experience.

Engineering labs, high-voltage testing, advanced scanning technology and an automotive lab with a range of Formula 1 racing cars will help develop students’ understanding of suspension, chassis design and aerodynamics, and provide a fantastic base for the Oxford Brookes Racing team.

Walled garden areas will form part of the building’s landscaping with outdoor learning spaces within the site’s picturesque woodland setting.

Image caption: High-res design for the workshop building on the Headington Hill site - updated image added to this page on September 2023

High-res design for the workshop building on the Headington Hill site - image updated September 2023

How can I find out more?

A flythrough video which shows the designs of both the teaching and workshop buildings can be viewed on this webpage.

In March 2023, a time-lapse camera was set up for the teaching building site. A video is available to view which shows progress with the building's construction to the end of October 2023. In June 2023, a time-lapse camera was also set up for the workshop building site. You can also view a video which shows progress with the workshop building's construction to the end of October 2023.

We're holding Undergraduate Open Days in Oxford where we’ll be providing further information on the new buildings being developed on our Headington Campus. If you are considering studying at Oxford Brookes, we hope you will sign up and find out more.

To keep up to the date with the progress of the construction work, please view the Works Updates section of the University’s website. The Works Update page includes a monthly update on recent and upcoming work from the University and our contracted construction firm.