Residential Colleges
UM attaches great importance to whole-person education, and the residential colleges (RC/RCs) on the new campus will be an ideal base for such an education. Teachers and students of different backgrounds will live and study together in the same RCs. Every student will belong to a faculty and an RC simultaneously. The faculty-based system and the RC system will complement each other perfectly. There will be between eight and twelve RCs, each consisting of approximately five hundred residents. Distributed across three island zones, the RCs will feature three to four different styles, with simplicity and elegance being the dominant tone. Each RC will has low-density buildings, including student dormitories, quarters for college heads, chiefs of student development, resident fellows and some teaching staff, dining halls, classrooms, study rooms, consultation rooms, small libraries, computer laboratories, recreational amenities, performance and rehearsal areas, gathering and activity rooms, offices of the college students’ union and other student organizations, and green spaces like courtyards. The RCs will provide an interactive and caring environment for UM to conduct non-formal education, stimulate the students to study diligently, and shape their character development.
Faculties
There will be approximately eight faculties on the new campus, including the existing Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Science and Technology; two separate faculties spun off from the existing Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, namely Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Arts; as well as at least one new faculty concerning health sciences. Each faculty building will have between three and five stories and will be equipped with excellent facilities for teaching and research, to fully satisfy the needs of all postgraduate programmes and most undergraduate programmes for year-2, year-3 and year-4 students.
Sports Venues
Large-scale sports facilities on the new campus will include a multi-purpose indoor sports complex, an indoor swimming venue, an outdoor Olympic stadium, and an outdoor multi-purpose court. These sports facilities can be used for gatherings, large-scale events, and performances. The multi-purpose indoor sports complex will have five stories, with a total usable area of approximately 9,600 square metres. The design of the venue gives full consideration to the unique needs of different sports activities. Every detail, from the use of natural and artificial lighting, to ventilation, sound insulation and absorption, to spatial height, floor material, and equipment, is meticulously designed to ensure that the venue can cater to high-level sports events. The multi-purpose indoor sports complex uses natural lighting wherever possible. Cross-ventilation is also a key consideration. The possibility of installing photovoltaic power generation systems and using collected rainwater and reclaimed water for planting and numerous water bodies is also being considered.
Research Base
The scientific research base will be located in the north end of the new campus, and the state key laboratories will also relocate to the research base. Sufficient space will be reserved in anticipation of new research projects that will continuously emerge as well as projects in new fields in collaboration with other research institutions. The research base will be divided into four parts: one for Chinese medical and pharmaceutical sciences; one for information and electronics; one for energy and environment; and one multi-purpose research building. The total usable area of the research base will be 77,000 square metres. The design will ensure spaciousness. Interior decoration will be limited to whitewashing. The need for future installation of water, electricity, drainage and air duct systems has also been taken into consideration.
Central Administrative Building
The 7-storey central administrative building will be located to the north of the central lake, adjacent to the university hall and the university guesthouse. It will have a total building area of 22,692 square metres and will house the offices of the university’s top management and various administrative units. The exterior of the building will have an elegant and subdued style, with a South European flavour. The Rector’s Office and the administrative offices for the University Council will be located on the top floor of the main building, while offices of other administrative units, academic support units, and the student reception will be located on separate floors of the building. Light-penetrable and thermal-insulation glass will be installed at appropriate locations on the facades of the building so that one can easily enjoy the visual feast of the beautiful natural views from inside the building.
University Hall
Located in the northeast corner of the new campus, the university hall will be connected to the university guesthouse and to the east of the central administrative building, separated by a small lake. Like the library and the central administrative building, the university hall will also be located along the eastern waterfront road. The overall design will highlight elegance, practicality, functionality, and manageability. Inside the university hall there will be a 1200-seat auditorium, patrons service rooms, performance rooms and rehearsal areas. The university hall can be used for holiday gatherings, large international conferences, and performances. Different sections share facilities but have separate entrances and exits. The usable area is approximately 6,000 square metres.
Central Library
The library will have between five and seven stories. It will be located in the central zone of the new campus, and will have a capacity for one million books. Architecturally it will be an aesthetically appealing mixture of Southern European and Lingnan styles. Functionally it will be very user-friendly. Information technology will be adopted to realize efficient operation, diversified services, and automatic management of the loan and return of books. Besides fulfilling the usual functions of housing and loaning books, it will also have various facilities for research. Woodgrain motifs will be adopted to set a general tone of elegance. Sections of different functions will have different characteristics. For instance, the special Macao books collection section will be decorated with Macao- and Portuguese-style ceramic tiles, while the café and 24-hour reading rooms will adopt relatively lively and colourful elements to encourage student interaction, but such differences will be tempered by elements of a consistent theme present throughout the entire library.
Central Classroom Building
The central classroom building will be a three-storey building, with a seating capacity of 3,000. It will mainly be used for first-year undergraduate courses and general education courses, but it will also serve as a venue for after-class discussion, study, and recreation. The availability of the common computer room, the common learning area and the common dining area in the central classroom building reflects the university’s wish to provide students with common learning experiences. Right outside the building or at an appropriate venue adjacent to the building there will be a square carpeted with grass and shaded with trees. The square can serve as an ideal venue for outdoor activities and gatherings. The interior design of the building will be lively and colourful, with the use of modern, simple motifs, bright colours and sufficient open spaces, to facilitate student interaction.
Central Business Zone
Located between the central residential zone and the faculty zone, and with a total usable area of 5,700 square metres, the central business zone will integrate dining, shopping and recreational functions. It will provide staff and students with necessary facilities as well as thoughtful and speedy services. Buildings in this zone will have between one and two stories. The natural surroundings will be fully utilized to ensure that various recreational, cultural and artistic activities can be held to enrich the lives of staff and students, while causing no disturbance to the other zones. The central business zone is expected to become a core zone for staff and students to meet and laze around.
Staff Residential Zone
The staff residential zone will be located in the south waterfront area of the new campus, adjacent to the central residential zone and the central business zone, with an expansive view of the sea. There will be fifteen buildings in the zone, and if the original plan is fully implemented, approximately 830 residential units will be available. Buildings in this zone will be of a classical style, while the adoption of some modern elements such as steel, simulated stone materials, glass and iron decoration will also imbue the buildings with a modern vibe. There will be clubs, management offices, outdoor bodybuilding facilities, green space, and amenities for children. On the ground floor of each building there will be an activity room for residents and a parking area for bicycles. The buildings will be on stilts so that there will be outdoor activity space on the ground floor.
Postgraduate Residential Zone
Apart from residential colleges, there will be a postgraduate residential zone on the new campus. Buildings in the zone will have between seven and eleven stories, providing accommodation for master and PhD students. There will also be a small indoor sports venue, an activity room, and offices for dormitory management personnel and student counseling personnel, etc. The postgraduate residential zone will be at a relatively independent and quiet location. There will be common sports and recreational facilities for master and PhD students to share. There will also be independent living facilities like get-together rooms, TV rooms, etc. The design of the postgraduate residential zone will be in harmony with the overall architectural style of the new campus, and will highlight the liveliness and diversity of student life.
Student Activity Centre
The student activity centre will be located to the south of the central classroom building, at the centre of the main axis of the new campus and the faculty zone. The student activity centre will consist of two parts: an activity centre for students, as the name suggests, and a performance centre. The student activity centre will house offices and conference rooms of the Students’ Union, activity rooms for students, offices of the Student Affairs Section, and various service facilities and shops. The creative interior design and the flexible space partitioning aim to facilitate student interaction based on different interests. The student activity and performance centre will be a three-storey building. The performance centre will have a seating capacity of 250. Outdoor space will be fully utilized and cleverly designed to allow students to carry out various activities such as performances and exhibitions.
University Gallery
The University Gallery is a main building of the phase-1 works. It will be located next to the university library and it will be an ideal place for university members and visitors to acquaint themselves with the university’s history. The building will have a dignified and elegant style. The lobby will mainly adopt subdued colours, without too many colour patches or line patterns. The exhibition area will feature the colour white to create a dignified atmosphere. A guided touring route inside the hall will be meticulously planned so that visitors can learn about the complete history of the university without having to backtrack.
University Guesthouse
Located in the northeast corner of the new campus, the university guesthouse will be connected to the university hall and to the east of the central administrative building, separated by a small lake. Like the library and the central administrative building, the university guesthouse will also be located along the eastern waterfront road. It will serve as a multi-purpose venue for gatherings, academic exchange, residence and dining. The university guesthouse will have between five and eight stories, with a total usable area of approximately 8,200 square metres. There will be multi-purpose conference rooms, exhibition halls, suites (for invited guests, invited scholars, participants of seminars and related activities, short-term staff, and alumni), restaurants, management offices, and other auxiliary rooms. The university guesthouse will be of an elegant style, and light-penetrable glass will be installed on the facades to create a feeling that the interior and exterior of the building is a harmonious whole.
