University of Derby – Enhancing the student experience

Flexible Learning, Built for the Future

The University of Derby Business School was designed to become an international centre of excellence, bringing together students, academics and the wider business community. Created to encourage entrepreneurial growth, the building brings together students, academics, industry experts, local business leaders and entrepreneurs to foster collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing.

The state-of-the-art facility features a range of specialist teaching spaces, including a virtual reality suite, stock market trading room, creative labs and a ‘living lab’ supporting both university research and industry projects. The University wanted inspiring, adaptable learning spaces that encourage interaction between staff and students, support modern teaching methods and respond to changing educational needs.

Working alongside GVAV, TOP-TEC supplied specialist furniture that integrates technology, supports collaboration and gives teaching staff greater flexibility across the new building.

The Brief

A key requirement was to create flexible spaces capable of supporting a wide variety of teaching and learning activities. Spaces needed to work equally well for traditional lectures and seminars, collaborative group work, presentations, hybrid teaching, independent study and technology-led learning. In more specialist areas, the furniture also needed to respond to the particular requirements of the teaching activity, equipment and room layout.

The University needed durable, contemporary furniture that could accommodate integrated technology, adapt to different teaching styles and maintain a consistent appearance throughout. Working alongside AV integrator GVAV, our furniture also needed to accommodate the technology being deployed throughout the building. Accessibility and inclusive design were important considerations, alongside the ability to incorporate bespoke elements where standard solutions could not fully meet the needs of a particular space.

Key project criteria:

Flexible learning environments: Supporting lectures, seminars, collaborative working and hybrid teaching.
Customisable furniture: Tailored to the unique requirements of specialist teaching spaces.
Technology integration: AV-ready furniture designed to accommodate GVAV’s integrated audiovisual technology.
Inclusive, future-proof design: Incorporating Equality Act aligned accessible furniture within collaborative layouts.
Collaborative planning and space optimisation: Using 2D layouts and 3D visualisations to maximise functionality before construction was complete.

Decision Process

Building on previous successful projects with the University of Derby, TOP-TEC was well placed to support the development of the new Business School. Our understanding of the University’s standards, teaching environments and long-term objectives enabled us to collaborate closely with the University and AV integrator GVAV from the early stages of the project.

As the building was still under construction, we worked closely with the project team to develop furniture layouts using detailed 2D plans and 3D visualisations, helping stakeholders envisage how each teaching space would function. This collaborative approach ensured the furniture accommodated the integrated AV requirements while maximising flexibility, functionality and ease of use.

Implementation

Synergy Collaborative Tables
Encouraging group interaction and collaborative learning through integrated AV.
Gemini Audio Visual Lecterns
Providing dedicated Equality Act aligned teaching stations with integrated AV controls and presentation technology.
Bespoke Nova Screen Trolleys
Allowing displays to be repositioned to suit different teaching layouts.
Messenger / Bravo Mobile Lecterns
Combining mobility, height adjustment and AV integration for more adaptable teaching spaces.

Customisation

Where standard furniture couldn’t meet the needs of specialist teaching spaces, TOP-TEC developed tailored adaptations to improve functionality and accessibility.

Working with the University and GVAV, we developed bespoke HDMI connection housings for the Nova screen trolleys, while incorporating height-adjustable work surfaces and accessible seating positions into collaborative layouts.

These adaptations helped create practical, inclusive learning spaces that meet the needs of staff and students while supporting the University’s long-term vision.

The Result

The completed project has given the University of Derby flexible, technology-enabled learning spaces that support collaboration, accessibility and a wider range of teaching styles.

The collaborative furniture encourages active learning and group engagement, while the adapted Synergy tables provide accessible, versatile spaces for group work.

Integrated with GVAV’s AV systems, the Gemini lecterns provide dedicated teaching and presentation hubs, while mobile screen trolleys allow staff to adapt room layouts and displays to suit different activities.

Together, these solutions have created adaptable, inclusive spaces that make teaching more flexible, encourage student engagement and deliver a consistent, high-quality learning environment throughout the building.

Download the full case study here