Headington Hill

Update on our new Headington Hill buildings - February 2025

In June 2022, Oxford Brookes received planning permission for two cutting edge, sustainable buildings on the Headington Hill site. Our vision is to create new facilities that allow our students, staff and researchers to flourish, bring the Oxford Brookes community together, boost local collaboration and help meet the needs of industry. The buildings will be the new home for Faculty activity previously based at Wheatley Campus.

We are pleased to confirm that teaching activity began in the new Teaching building on the Headington Hill site from Monday 27 January. You can view the first thoughts from our students on the fantastic new spaces.

The new Workshop building on the site was formally handed over to the University in February 2025 and will begin to be used as part of a phased opening during Semester 2 of the 2024/25 academic year.

We look forward to everyone using the new spaces from Semester 2, including the Headington Hill Cafe in the Teaching Building which will also open to all from Monday 27 January. Further information on the new cafe, and food and drink options across our campuses, can be found on the University's catering webpage.

Further work will take place across both buildings and the surrounding area over the coming months to ensure we make full use of the excellent new facilities.

Image caption: The main entrance and central staircase of the new Teaching building on the Headington Hill site.

Students in the main entrance and on the central staircase of the new Teaching building on the Headington Hill site

What new facilities have been built?

Two students working on laptops in the Teaching building on the Headington Hill site

As part of the transformation of the Headington Hill, which is at the heart of the Headington Campus, the University has developed:

an innovative new teaching building
a specialist purpose-built workshop
improved outdoor spaces across the site.

These new buildings are the new home for the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics activity previously based at Wheatley. The facilities also co-locate the Faculty’s Architecture, Built Environment and the School of Arts departments on one campus. Together they will bring together engineering and motorsport with creative art and design thinking, innovative applications of artificial intelligence and robotics, and converging technologies and digital innovation.

The fantastic new facilities are available to all students and staff at the University, as well as members of our wider community.

Image caption: Students working in the Teaching building on the Headington Hill site.

Why have we constructed these buildings?

Oxford Brookes is committed to building an environment which supports our students, staff and partners to excel. Importantly, our campus spaces will respond to the evolving needs of the University’s community and the rapidly changing world of education.

As part of the University’s Oxford Campus Vision, we have moved all remaining activity from the Wheatley Campus.

Our new teaching and learning spaces on the Headington Hill site showcase the latest technological advances and thinking, preparing our students for their future careers in a rapidly changing world. The new buildings help connect our students to organisations, businesses and sector pioneers, enrich teaching and learning, and boost employability.

We believe our future Oxford environment will inspire a vibrant, connected and diverse student and staff community to achieve their potential and the two new buildings on the Headington Hill site play an important part in this.

Image caption: Looking up at the upper floors of the Teaching building's central atrium.

What can I expect to see in the new teaching building?

Three students working on a racing car on the ground floor of the Teaching building on the Headington Hill site

The teaching building will be accessible 24 hours a day and transform teaching, learning and research. Across three floors, the teaching building includes innovations such as an immersion lab for teaching, research, and industry engagement, robotics labs with industry leading equipment, 3D printing technology, and a dedicated computer suite with the latest industry-standard software for deep learning.

The building adopts a wide range of emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR) and Augmented Reality (AR). A centre-piece is the Virtual Reality Cave, allowing students from multiple disciplines to create virtual buildings and towns, use interactive CAD design and disassemble a Formula 1 car to test changes to its design. A central atrium and cafe links the teaching building’s three floors with a number of break-out spaces to support group learning and collaboration.

Flexible teaching, learning and social spaces allow our students to fully interact with fellow students, our expert academics, support staff, businesses and local communities. Bringing together STEM and creative industries activity helps to boost the experience of those studying at Oxford Brookes, providing a real advantage when our graduates embark on their next journey. The enhanced landscaping around the building will provide dynamic outdoor social learning spaces. These will complement the Headington Conservation Area, connecting activity to the landscape.

Image caption: Students working on the ground floor of the Teaching building on the Headington Hill site

What can I expect to see in the new workshop building?

The purpose-built workshop building will provide industry-standard technical facilities for students, staff and researchers.

The workshop will be the home to specialist engineering equipment with state-of-the-art labs and hands-on teaching spaces. The motorsport, autolabs and mechanical engineering facilities previously based at our Wheatley Campus will be located in the building.

The dynamic, flexible workshop space in the centre of the building will link to the more specialist workshops. Having daily access to workshop, lab spaces and modern specialist equipment will enhance our students’ teaching and learning experience.

Engineering labs, high-voltage testing, advanced scanning technology and an automotive lab with a range of Formula 1 racing cars will help develop students’ understanding of suspension, chassis design and aerodynamics, and provide a fantastic base for the Oxford Brookes Racing team.

Walled garden areas will form part of the building’s landscaping with outdoor learning spaces within the site’s picturesque woodland setting.

Image caption: High-res design for the workshop building on the Headington Hill site.

High-res design for the workshop building on the Headington Hill site - image updated September 2023

What are the timescales for the new buildings?

Three students working on a white board in the new Teaching building on the Headington Hill site

June 2022:

Planning permission granted for both the teaching building and purpose-built workshop.

November 2022:

Start of initial enabling works for both buildings ahead of construction.

January 2023:

Start of construction work for the two buildings begins.

Semester Two of the 2024/25 academic year:

First teaching activity took place in the new Teaching building from the start of Semester Two, with use of the Workshop building following later in the semester.

Image caption: Students working on the ground floor of the Teaching building on the Headington Hill site

How can I find out more?

We're holding Undergraduate Open Days in Oxford where we’ll be providing further information on the new buildings on our Headington Campus. If you are considering studying at Oxford Brookes, we hope you will sign up and find out more.

To keep up to the date with the progress of the construction work, please view the Works Updates section of the University’s website. The Works Update page includes a regular update on recent and upcoming work from the University and our contracted construction firm.

A flythrough video which shows the designs of both the teaching and workshop buildings can be viewed on this webpage.