24/4/2009 Sponsored posts filled

Two appointments have been made at Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Met) to key academic posts.

Property group Downing, the developer behind a flagship £50 million education scheme in the city, is sponsoring the two positions which will focus on developing research in sustainable buildings, energy and environments.

Greg Keeffe has been appointed as the Downing Chair of Sustainable Architecture and will take up his post in June. Keeffe is joining from Manchester School of Architecture where he is currently head of design.

Professor Malcolm Bell was appointed to the post of Downing Chair of Sustainable Housing at the end of last year.

The two posts will be funded for three years with staff and students benefiting from access to real life case study material from Downing’s development schemes to aid their studies.

Downing’s Broadcasting Place scheme on Woodhouse Lane will feature 130,000 sq ft of new teaching space for Leeds Met and 240 student residences contained within a striking 23-storey tower.

Chris Royffe, head of the Leeds School of Architecture, Landscape and Design, said: “Sponsorship by Downing for these professorial appointments means that Leeds Metropolitan University can further develop its research endeavours in this important field.

“It will encourage the staff and students responsible for the future planning of buildings and spaces to design them in a responsible and informed way.

“Through the development of new facilities and the provision of this sponsorship, Downing is helping the university to extend its ambition to have a positive impact on the environment.”

Paul Houghton, director of Downing, said: “We are committed to developing the facilities at Leeds Met university and take great pride in building for education. The establishment and sponsorship of these two posts will build a legacy that will benefit both the university and its students.

“The impact on the built environment should always be a powerful concern for the development community. Sponsoring these teaching posts will help us to further explore issues of sustainability and to offer the academic community a private sector perspective.”

Designed by Sterling Prize winning architects Feilden Clegg Bradley, Broadcasting Place has won praise from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). The scheme is safeguarding the preservation of the historic Grade II Listed Broadcasting House as well as creating a new Baptist Church for the local community.

The new teaching and office space will house Leeds Met’s Faculty of Arts and Society and will be completed by September 2009.