At the recent UK Universities Procurement Conference in Exeter, three esteemed institutions vied for the award for the best “Responsible Procurement Initiative”. Lancaster University was the winner and we will feature their story here soon - but today, it is the turn of the University of Huddersfield. I recently spoke to Joanna Fulton and Joe Byrne from the procurement team to get more insight into their case study.
Huddersfield is a relatively young university with a very diverse student body and close links to the local community, business and residents. When the university decided to build a new multi-faith centre in the heart of the campus, the theme of “community” was key. And there was additional pressure to make sure the project was a success, as the family of Jo Cox, the local MP who was tragically murdered in 2016, agreed to allow her name to be used for the centre. So the University’s vision and philosophy for the centre was for a building that would:
• Be a place for a diverse range of students to meet, reflect, be calm and engage with others.
• Provide space to meet everyday faith needs as well as enable community gatherings and celebrations.
• Provide community rooms and a lounge, for all faiths and none.
Given the focus on community and wellbeing, the university decided to pursue the WELL gold standard for the building - the first university building in the UK to do that. The WELL building standard is based on the connection between the buildings we spend our time in and the health and wellness impact on us as occupants and users. It is a “performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind”.
Given the WELL focus, responsible and ethical procurement was required not just in terms of the physical building but for everything connected with it, from furniture to cleaning products. Joanna Fulton led the significant procurement input to the project, but collaborative working was vital here. Whilst not every senior manager “gets” procurement, she says that fortunately the Director of Estates at Huddersfield does. “There was a good understanding of the trade-offs and how we could use local sourcing and follow sustainable sourcing approaches, and how that would support the WELL goal”.
Guidance was provided from a WELL standard expert to make sure the right processes were followed. A good relationship with architects Bond Bryan, prime contractor Morgan Sindall, and other key suppliers was also critical. The Procurement team worked with suppliers to ensure the standard was incorporated into designs and worked with contractors to ensure that the building met those specifications. The WELL Standard was built into the evaluation criteria for the main contractor and also considered for further direct appointments.
The Centre was fitted out using the Sustainable Furniture Solutions framework from the universities collaborative procurement programme – “we bought a mix of new and recycled products, working closely with two suppliers who also collaborated with each other to give us the best result”. And the fabric chosen for all furniture was made using 100% recycled bottles! Half the breakout space furniture was reused from the previous Faith Centre and re-upholstered with the same fabric.
Engagement with the local community was key. A local firm, run by two Huddersfield graduates, won the contract to provide prayer mats – a new spend category for procurement! Then members of local Muslim groups offered to sponsor the mats, a voluntary act of Sadaqah, which saved the university money but more importantly helped to build that sense of community and involvement.
But of course the big question is – did the Centre come in on time and budget? The answer is “yes”, which is quite an achievement given recent issues around inflation, product shortages and so on. The Jo Cox More in Common Centre opened in March 2023, with prayer rooms, a 200 capacity hall, social space, kitchens and other rooms that can be used by many different groups, religious and non-religious, to celebrate the famous words of Jo Cox - “We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”
What comes next for Huddersfield? On a plot of land adjacent to the campus, work has already commenced on a new “health and wellbeing academy”. And this time, the aim is to go for the platinum WELL standard… good luck!