University of Reading’s new 242-hectare campus in Malaysia gets underway

The University of Reading is celebrating the start of construction at its first overseas campus at EduCity Iskandar, Malaysia. EduCity is a new 242-hectare education hub, which includes student accommodation and sports facilities. It is the first project of its kind in Asia.

Gillespies has worked with Scott Brownrigg Architects on the project, and has provided landscape consultancy services including the design of a large landscape masterplan, public realm and landscape design.

The design by Gillespies groups the departments around a "heart space" with a tempered semi-external environment, allowing students, staff and visitors to experience blurring the edges of formal and informal teaching, light and dark, internal and external spaces.

The landscape concept sets a benchmark for educational campus design covering all aspects of the public realm including paving, trees, shrub planting, street furniture, lighting and sustainable drainage features. These elements collectively, will contribute strongly to students', staff and visitors' perceptions and experiences of the University.