New chair for higher-education design body

London School of Economics director of estates Julian Robinson has been appointed as the new chair of the Higher Education Design Quality Forum, which exists to promote excellence in the creation of university campuses, buildings and facilities.

Robinson, who succeeds Philip Ogden of Queen Mary University of London, is an honorary fellow of Riba and oversaw the delivery of the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre at the LSE. Designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey, the centre was Riba’s London Building of the Year 2014 and a Stirling Prize frontrunner.

Serving under Robinson as deputy chairs at the forum will be Penoyre & Prasad partner Ian Goodfellow and Trevor Wills, who is director of estates and capital projects at Plymouth University.

Robinson said he wanted his chairmanship to focus on improving the diversity of the forum’s board of trustees and directors; enhancing the organisation’s website and members’ resources area; and on developing support for an ongoing research programme.

In addition to organising visits to university buildings of particular interest in the UK and overseas, the forum hosts seminars, debates and an annual conference on a specific topic.

It also undertakes and publishes research relevant to promoting high-quality design in higher education.