Computing facilities

Our facilities have undergone a £400 million investment programme, including a major expansion of our City Centre Campus. This includes £70 million development, STEAMhouse, the home of Computing students. This state-of-the-art centre will give you access to outstanding facilities and equipment, as well as opportunities to collaborate with businesses across multiple sectors and work on real industry-based projects.

Our facilities in Millennium Point have undergone a £6.5million investment with maker area, engineering labs/equipment and IT equipment.

Thanks to our partnerships with Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle, Juniper, SAS and LPI you will have access to the latest technology and facilities that reflect advanced professional practice. Our students also have access to software such as the Adobe Suite including Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.

Open Days

Come to a BCU Open Day and explore the facilities for yourself.

Open Days

Computing Lab

There are a number of open access, software development and computer programming laboratories that can be used to develop systems and programmes, including:

Software development environments for modern programming languages - Visual Studio
Computing programming languages – Python, C#, ASP.NET, PHP, Unity
Operating systems – Linux, Windows and macOS
Database management systems – MySQL
Neural network simulators
Computer architecture simulators – RISC
Application development software – iPhone, Android Studio
Integrated development environments – Netbeans / FPGA /CPLD
JAVA programming – BlueJ.

Computer Games Lab

Our state-of-the-art computer games lab is home to a PS4 Development Kit and has Xbox One Console Development ability. We have a Nintendo Switch Development Kit in procurement and HTC Vive, Oculus CV1 and VR development facility.

The Games Lab is a key feature during our Games Jam and society events. All students can join our computer games societies and use our facilities if interested in gaming.

Makers Lab

The Makers Space is equipped with a laser cutter, 3D printers, and a variety of electronic components like motion, proximity, humidity sensors, and many more.

This space is widely used by students, including first year students who use the space to help build their gadget ready to be presented at Innovation Fest. Experienced technicians are on hand to provide support. The support extends to all other levels including Final Year, Ph.D., and KTP projects.

Student have access to high spec laptops with the latest media software for all their module needs, making the level 4 Makers Space the ideal area for the development of their project. Computer enthusiasts will enjoy our mini collection of vintage Apple computers.

Networking Lab

Our industry standard kit can be accessed by students who are at home or anywhere on the globe – remote access – 24/7 (NETACAD)

The laboratories are well-equipped for all our computer networking courses, as well as specialist areas for practical work such as: Voice-over internet protocol (VoIP), Security technologies, Forensic and ethical hacking technologies, wireless and mobile technologies, Internet of Things (IoT), Cybersecurity and software Defined Networking including NFV.

STEAMhouse

View video transcription

STEAMhouse is the home of Computing. Based at our expanding City Centre Campus, this state-of-the-art centre will give students access to outstanding facilities and equipment, as well as opportunities to collaborate with people and businesses across multiple sectors and work on real industry-based projects.

0:01
the Birmingham Sound Lab as part of the
0:03
Digital Labs and steamhouse is the first
0:05
of its kind in the West Midlands so
0:07
there'll be no other space in the West
0:08
Midlands that enables us to orally spaces
0:12
that don't exist quite like the Sound
0:13
Lab does Sound Lab is a really exciting
0:16
space that brings to life some of the
0:19
challenges that projects and
0:21
developments can face the sound
0:23
platform combines pioneering spatial
0:26
audio design and a calibrated playback
0:28
system to produce industry leading sound
0:30
demonstrations we can take our clients
0:32
into the Sound Lab and they can
0:34
understand the impacts of the design
0:36
decisions that we have to make the
0:38
opening of the Digital Labs is really
0:40
exciting for us it enables us to bring
0:42
space kit expertise Talent knowledge
0:47
skills all in one cauldron of
0:50
opportunity to allow businesses to
0:52
flourish and come up with new ideas it's
0:56
a manifestation of of how Synergy can be
0:58
brought forward into the marketplace
1:01
between industry and research Academia
1:05
Partnerships represent a really
1:07
important part of who we are as a
1:10
university and where we come from in
1:13
steamhouse bringing all these different
1:15
people together all in one place really
1:17
just FastTrack any sort of project or
1:20
idea that you have we believe working
1:23
with Arab we will be able to bring
1:26
cutting-edge technology to allow
1:28
businesses to think how they may grow
1:31
and apply new knowledge in a really
1:35
exciting and dynamic way Sound Lab in
1:38
steamhouse is our first real investment
1:40
into the city but really what we're
1:42
looking for is engagement of our staff
1:45
and some of the expertise they can bring
1:47
to some of the skills and enthusiasm
1:48
that Birmingham City University has as a
1:50
lectorate it's incredibly exciting to be
1:52
able to work in this environment because
1:54
we're able to listen to those spaces
1:56
that don't exist anymore or maybe spaces
1:59
that we're looking to design um in a
2:01
level of clarity and High Fidelity
2:04
that's just not possible anywhere else a
2:06
facility like this is something that I
2:07
would have dreamed of when I was
2:09
studying at berm City University the
2:11
power of the environment is that people
2:15
have their own experience but then
2:18
because they're able to share that with
2:20
other people they're able to build
2:22
consensus around an idea businesses
2:25
accessing The Sound Lab can not only
2:28
access some of the world be technology
2:31
made available they've also got access
2:34
to our create studio and the facilities
2:37
and business support within our digital
2:40
lab space we believe that together these
2:44
things will really enable you to
2:47
accelerate your business
2:52
[Music]

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