A college is celebrating the first anniversary of the opening of its state-of-the-art Extended Reality (XR) Lab in Bury St Edmunds.
The XR Lab, sited at West Suffolk College’s University Professional & Development Centre in Western Way, launched in December 2023.
The high-tech facility, which cost £2 million to build, was designed by Cambridge architects WindsorPatania, which drew inspiration from the films Men in Black and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Staff from Eastern Education Group and Windsor Patania architects celebrate a national award and a first anniversary for the XR Lab based in Bury St Edmunds. Picture: WindsorPatania
During the last 12 months, the Lab has won a national award, represented the UK during a national trade fair promoting innovation, worked with scores of businesses by developing content for various projects and wowed thousands of students who have used it.
Tom Lloyd, the XR Lab project lead for the Eastern Education Group, which runs West Suffolk College, said: “This is just the beginning as we shoot for the moon when it comes to future plans for this space age resource.”
Tom, the executive director of skills, innovation and strategic development at Eastern Education Group, continued: “It’s been an incredible year for the XR Lab.
Ryan Windsor and Giovanni Patania, XR Lab directors. Picture: WindsorPatania
“We have worked with the health care sector training GPs, created virtual reality content for Sizewell C and the local renewable sector – and all students from West Suffolk College have been across to see the technology we have here.
“In addition to that, we have been over to Barcelona with the Department of Business and Trade to represent Great Britain – showing how innovation in education is driving the country forward – and we went to Zurich to the teaching and learning conference to show how we are utilising artificial intelligence in our virtual reality content.
“The whole project has accelerated quicker than anyone could have foreseen.”
The XR Lab won the Inspiring Learning Space accolade in the 2024 Education Estates Awards in Manchester.
Tom said: “It was incredible to win an award going up against 29,000 schools, 380 colleges and 142 universities. It’s a significant achievement that we are very proud of.
“And my message to the community is that the XR Lab is a fantastic space for education and businesses to utilise.
The award-winning XR Lab in Bury St Edmunds. Picture: WindsorPatania
“We can create content to help meet skills gaps and remove the barriers of geography by working with any business on any project anywhere in the world – so, we encourage everyone to come and join us on our journey by getting in touch to find out how we can work together.”
Ryan Windsor is a development director with WindsorPatania architects who came up with the vision of the XR Lab and is a former alumni of the college.
Ryan said: “We wanted to foster curiosity and create a wow moment and a sense that that anything is possible – and it has been a real team effort.
“Dr Nikos Savvas, Tom and the college had the vision and secured the funding. We designed the building – and all of the consultants and builders created it.
“I constantly see the XR Lab on social media and it is being used very well. As a former student and student governor – I’m very proud to have been part of this project.
“There is a lot of positivity around using the space. Former students have managed to secure jobs in the building – they haven’t had to go to Manchester or London to fulfil their dreams. They’ve stayed right here in Suffolk.”
One of those people to secure a job is former student Ben Loft, who is a technical developer specialising in Virtual Reality.
Ben said: “I was a student here and now I’m an employee – so it’s been nice watching the facility evolve.
“We spend a lot of time ensuring the XR Lab doesn’t get stuck in time and that we are ahead of the game.
XR Lab directors Ryan Windsor and Giovanni Patania. Picture: WindsorPatania
“I’d say to the community that anything is possible with the XR lab. It’s a brilliant resource and we would love to work with businesses and education by supporting them via this amazing technology.”
Dr Nikos Savvas, CEO of Eastern Education Group, said: “Bury St Edmunds is a picturesque town in the heart of Suffolk and might not be the first place you’d expect to find cutting-edge technology in AI and Virtual Reality. However, this historic town has a tradition of making waves both nationally and internationally.
“Known as the birthplace of the Magna Carta and a hub of revolutionary ideas, Bury St Edmunds continues to uphold its legacy of innovation.
“At Eastern Education Group, our mission is to cement the region as an international leader in education. We believe that real change begins with education, and through our efforts, we aim to empower individuals and inspire transformative progress.”
The XR Lab was funded by Eastern Education Group and the Office for Students.