Beit basement project deemed 'inferior'

A report, commissioned on behalf of Imperial College Union, described work completed on Beit’s west basement as having created a facility “considered to be very much inferior to that which existed before, with a significant portion of it being unusable.”

It also referred to shortcomings in the design and construction of the IC Radio studio, Jazz and Rock, and control rooms, which has led to poor soundproofing between the spaces.

Several clubs are housed in the west basement, including Jazz and Rock, and the Media societies, and it is these that have been most affected.

Planning for the basement redevelopment began in 2013, when College proposed converting Beit’s east basement into additional bedrooms for Beit Hall. Much of the east basement was used as storage for union clubs and societies, but this was to be moved to the west side, with the overall size of the space for media clubs shrinking to make room. In compensation for the reduction in space, included in the project would be a much needed redevelopment of the student media facilities.

With work completed over the summer of 2014, and spaces opened gradually during the winter term, numerous sound isolation problems were identified, with several complaints launched by residents in Beit hall regarding the levels of noise coming from the Jazz and Rock practice room. By the Easter break, complaints had reached such a level that the practice room was closed indefinitely.

The entire cost of refitting both the east basement with new bedrooms and the west basement with new storage and media facilities was around £2.5 million. The media facilities alone, including design, VAT, and furniture cost in the region of £900,000, with funds coming from the College. Imperial College Union then spent a further £100,000 supplying the space with equipment.

A union representative told FELIX that the union would “continue to work with the College and Media group societies to resolve the problems that we are facing with the facility”.