Northern Ireland consultancy firm receives a prestigious ‘royal’ accolade for work on QUB Riddel Hall project

Northern Ireland planning and strategic communications consultancy Gravis Planning has received a prestigious ‘royal’ accolade.

The firm, with offices in Belfast, Dublin, London and Edinburgh, was presented with the Royal Town Planning Institute Northern Ireland’s ‘Excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture Award’ in recognition of its work in securing planning permission for new, state-of-the-art facilities at Riddel Hall, owned by Queen’s University Belfast.

Working alongside Isherwood and Ellis Architects, Gravis was responsible for the management of the planning application for the new business school & student hub at Riddel Hall, which opened to students and staff last September.

The new 6,000sqm build provides a suite of new facilities for learning, networking, doing business and socialising. Despite its sleek, modern design, it elegantly mirrors the iconic red-brick architectural heritage of Riddel Hall next to it, a Grade 2 listed building which was first opened in 1913 following its foundation as a residence for female students at the university, thanks to a donation of £25,000 by Eliza and Isabella Riddel.

The newly opened extension includes the Mark Pigott Lecture Theatre, which is a 250-seat tiered educational space; a 120-seat Harvard-style lecture theatre; 150-seat computer laboratory and a financial trading room sponsored by FinTru. It also features a business engagement and employability hub where graduates have the opportunity to interact with members of the business community to learn what life is like in their workplaces and develop their skills to follow their chosen career path. For students thinking of starting their own businesses, there is an Entrepreneurial Accelerator Hub on site alongside a newly established café as well.

Commenting on this award for Gravis, group managing director for planning, Richard Bowman, said: “The new extension at Riddel Hall is a fantastic addition to the University’s estate and we are proud to support Queen’s as it continues to cement its status as a world-leading academic institution.

"Having facilities which are at the cutting edge of research and development is key in nurturing the best and brightest talent that our universities have to offer.

“Our involvement in this project included managing the planning application, providing ongoing planning advice and the delivery of a successful public consultation event in Riddel Hall showcasing the proposal prior to plans being submitted to Belfast City Council.

“We want to place on record our thanks to the RTPI for recognising this work.”