Our exciting vision continues to transform our Canterbury Campus with contemporary spaces for learning, teaching and research, whilst celebrating the city’s rich heritage.
With an investment of £150 million, we continue to improve our Canterbury Campus to equip it for the 21st century.
Our vision for a campus transformation has been shaped by the community and our strong links to the city and its past.
Carefully designed to complement the history of our campus location within a UNESCO World Heritage Site our new buildings connect the city’s historic sites with our progressive vision to continue growing the economy through research and education.
With a dedication to deliver contemporary and innovative learning facilities, we continue to provide an inviting and progressive environment for students, staff, and the wider community.
Verena Holmes Building
The Verena Holmes Building opened in January 2021 and provides a central location where exciting and innovative approaches to teaching and learning take place.
The building shape references the visual link from St Martin’s Church to Canterbury Cathedral over St Augustine’s Abbey, creating a new heart to our North Holmes Campus and links between the University’s key buildings.
A dynamic range of courses are offered within Verena Holmes and have been developed with employers to nurture new talent and innovation.
The main subject areas taught within this building are:
- Engineering and Technology
- Health and Wellbeing
- Law, Psychology and Sports Science.
The Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) also uses the Verena Holmes Building's industry-standard facilities for learning and training.
KMMS represents the collaboration between Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Kent, with the aim of training our future doctors to deliver 21st century medicine.
Daphne Oram
Named after Daphne Oram, co-founder of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and a tutor here during the 1980s, our new creative arts building supports and inspires the next generation of artistic professionals.
The bold design celebrates the historic foundations of our campus site, exposing sections of the original St Augustine’s Abbey wall beneath a glass floor. Spaces flooded with natural light are fitted with the latest digital facilities to support creative work. We have created a vibrant digital learning culture where students can generate and share ideas.
We provide an array of courses, all of which continue to develop as they reflect the evolving industries with which they are based. We continually consult and involve industry professionals in our course design and make changes to ensure that what we teach remains relevant.
By providing our students with cutting-edge facilities, we help prepare them for work and ensure they leave our University with the confidence to excel in the workplace.
The courses taught within this building include:
- Commercial Music
- Creative Music Production and Technology
- Digital Media
- Games Design
- Graphic Design
- Illustration.
Prison conversion
The conversion of Canterbury’s 19th century prison is the final development in our long-term plan.
The history of the prison building and the stories of its inhabitants are currently being captured by our researchers and academics, and the prison is occasionally used for University events and exhibitions.
We plan to undergo a sensitive conversion of the prison to ensure we capture its rich and fascinating history. Merging history with growth, our campus continues to capture our city’s heritage combined with a progressive vision.