Jimmy leaves his farm behind to open Coventry’s new student building

TV personality and former Coventry student, Jimmy Doherty, was back in the city recently to officially open a brand new building for students.

Jimmy, who was a research student at Coventry was the guest of honour at the opening of the £32 million building which is situated at the heart of the University’s city centre campus.

TheHub has been designed to enhance the student experience and inside this spectacular building are giant bean bags, space-age pods and hundreds of high tech computer stations which provide a relaxing space to meet friends or study informally during the day.

However, TheHub’s claim to fame is that it is the greenest building on campus and sets the standard for best practice in sustainable building design; construction and operation.

TheHub has a food court offering a range of cuisine, coffee shops, a supermarket and a pharmacy and is also home to several University services in one central area. The venue also houses a 700-capacity club, tiered seating and a performing arts space.

Students can access Careers and Employability, Spirituality and Faith, a doctors’ surgery, Counselling, Welfare and Disabilities, a hairdressers and the Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship; all under one roof – well a roof garden to be precise!

TheHub is also the new home for the Coventry University Students’ Union (CUSU) and as it occupies a central location right in the middle of the campus, it will be the new centre for student activity.

Tracy Cullis, Director of Student Services at Coventry University, said:

We are very excited that after years of planning, we finally have a purpose-built building for our students to enjoy.  I am delighted that Jimmy Doherty was able to be with us for our official opening. The feedback we’ve already had from staff and students has been very positive indeed.

TheHub forms the heart of the campus and has been designed with the student in mind.

Tracy Cullis added:

TheHub has the added attraction of a rooftop garden which will provide access to a green open space for studying or eating alfresco with fabulous views of this historic city.

-Ends-

Note to editors

TheHub is BREEAM excellent. BREEAM is widely used for measuring a building’s environmental performance.

• The Hub’s ‘Green’ credentials include:
• Ground source cooling.  Bore hole on site to recycle cool water from the ground to maintain the temperature through chilled beams
• Has natural ventilation
• Grey water harvesting – rain water for loos
• Solar water heating
• A green roof
• Managed by an electronic buildings management system

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