ABSTRACT
Directors of Estates and their representative organisations, keen to justify capital expenditure, have begun to appreciate that the need for investment in the physical estate is necessarily self-evident and that empirical research is required to demonstrate value both to students, their higher education Institutions and the wider UK economy. The evidence shows that over the last two decades universities have invested heavily in their estates. While there was a slow-down during the last recession, this investment has steadily continued. The university estates of today, save for historic buildings, are unrecognisable from 30 years ago. Directors of Estates are aware that inspiring buildings and high-quality facilities play an important role in attracting students to a particular university.
