We are a team of social science researchers at the University of the West of England and in partnership with ISG and Stride Treglown, we have been running a research project exploring user’s experiences of the new Bristol Business School and Bristol Law School building.
Between February 2018 and February 2019 we asked staff, students and visitors to tell us about their experiences by posting a photograph on Instagram using #myUWEBBSview and in the caption telling us how they were using the building, how they felt about the building, what it meant to them and why they took the picture. Those staff, students and visitors not using Instagram instead emailed us their photographs and captions.
The rich narrative and visual data gathered from this research, from over 250 participants who took part in the study, goes beyond more usual ‘technical-functional’ analyses of how new buildings operate. Our project report now provides an in-depth, user-centred account of how the transparent, collaborative, flexible and open university building affects working and studying practices. It ends with a practical set of future-focused recommendations and value propositions for all stakeholders involved in commissioning new university accommodation.
Our final report is now available to download.
Check out the Instagram feed below for some recent photos.