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Introduction
Despina Katsikakis

What has always distinguished DEGW is our passion for
researching and forecasting the future of work. Increasingly, that
preoccupation is leading us to look at the blurring of boundaries
between working, learning and living in both physical and virtual
environments. Tonight, Andrew Harrison, who’s our Director
of Learning and Research, will explore some future trends in
education and learning, and will look at opportunities for design
to help transform the learning environment through the application
of thinking developed for the realm of the workplace.
Andrew joined DEGW in 1985, and has been instrumental
in much of the practice’s leading edge research in the field
of intelligent buildings across Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin
America. He recently completed our biggest research project
to date – an investigation into sustainable accommodation for
the European Commission, which led to the publication of
The Distributed Workplace. In addition to his research activities,
Andrew advises major universities around the world on the future
of their estates, a role involving some of the thinking that he’ll
share with us tonight.
Professor David Chiddick, who will respond to Andrew’s
presentation, is at the forefront of not only thinking about but
also delivering the future university. As Vice Chancellor of the
University of Lincoln, he has over the past five years steered the
University through a major reorganisation, which has transformed
both its estate and the learning experience. Professor Chiddick
is also the founding chair of the Higher Education Design Quality
Forum and currently chairs the UK HE Rating Committee and
the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s Space
Management Group.

November 2006