Rutherford College, Kent
Encyclopedia
Rutherford College is the second oldest college
of the University of Kent
. It is located on the university's Canterbury
campus and was established in 1966.
, the physicist
and Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry
. As Rutherford achieved fame in both Physics
and Chemistry
, it was felt that he was a particularly appropriate namesake
given the University's original desire to break down the boundaries between disciplines. Rutherford was also an alumnus of the University of Canterbury
in New Zealand.
, and was inspired by Louis Kahn
's design for a residential block at Bryn Mawr College
in Pennsylvania
. The need to have three hundred study-bedrooms and several large areas for distinctive use, such as teaching, a common room
and a dining hall plus kitchens, led to the adoption of a section design with the college divided into several square blocks, each containing a distinctive interior space with study bedrooms along all four walls. The Bryn Mawr residential block has three squares in a row, but faced with the need for an additional square for each college, it was decided to arrange the squares in a cruciform
layout.
Due to the need to have the first two colleges built early, Rutherford was designed at the same time as Eliot and so consequently the design could not be adapted to take into account problems encountered with Eliot. Due to the contours of the hill on which the campus is built, the two colleges are not exactly alike and in later years annexe extensions and alterations were to further the differences.
As originally designed the college was poorly equipped for access by the mobility impaired and later adaptations have included the installation a lift and the opening up of some study bedroom corridors, now adapted into office space for academic departments, to provide a level free route through the college.
played the JCR. Other bands that played the college in the early eighties included Aswad, The Comsat Angels, New Model Army
and Gene Loves Jezabel. The Dining Hall was regularly used twice a term in that period for live events often college balls including The Rag Ball in 1983.
. In the Summer term of the 2005/06 academic year, it was rebranded as "The Atom". During the 07/08 Autumn term, Kent Union took on ownership. After an extensive refit (beginning in the last week of the Autumn term 2007 and continuing over the Christmas break) it was remodelled, the most notable difference being the movement of the bar itself to a more centralised position in the premises.
All preexisting furniture and lighting in the bar was replaced, and the balcony that overlooked the bar was closed off to make way for solid glass panes that incorporate frosted silhouettes. The renovations that took place cut off direct access to the Junior Common Room (JCR) through the bar, although access can still be gained via one set of double doors and a fire door. The name "Rutherford Bar" has been reinstated, and stylised as "RuTHErford BAR", emphasising "The Bar".
The kitchen serves mostly panini sandwiches, pizzas and salads, but is notable for being one of the few restaurants on campus that serves no burgers or fried food, due to a lack of extraction units in the kitchen.
Colleges within UK Universities
In relation to universities, the term college normally refers to a part of the university which does not have degree-awarding powers in itself. Degrees are always awarded by universities, colleges are institutions or organisations which prepare students for the degree...
of the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
. It is located on the university's Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
campus and was established in 1966.
Namesake
The college is named after Ernest RutherfordErnest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson OM, FRS was a New Zealand-born British chemist and physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics...
, the physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
. As Rutherford achieved fame in both Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, it was felt that he was a particularly appropriate namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
given the University's original desire to break down the boundaries between disciplines. Rutherford was also an alumnus of the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
in New Zealand.
College architecture
The basic design of the college is to a large extent a mirror of Eliot CollegeEliot College, Kent
Eliot College is the oldest college of the University of Kent. It was established in 1965, the same year the university opened.-Namesake:The college is named after T. S. Eliot, the poet who died on January 4, 1965, the same day the university was formally established...
, and was inspired by Louis Kahn
Louis Kahn
Louis Isadore Kahn was an American architect, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935...
's design for a residential block at Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The need to have three hundred study-bedrooms and several large areas for distinctive use, such as teaching, a common room
Common Room (university)
In some universities in the United Kingdom — particularly collegiate universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Durham — students and the academic body are organised into common rooms...
and a dining hall plus kitchens, led to the adoption of a section design with the college divided into several square blocks, each containing a distinctive interior space with study bedrooms along all four walls. The Bryn Mawr residential block has three squares in a row, but faced with the need for an additional square for each college, it was decided to arrange the squares in a cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
layout.
Due to the need to have the first two colleges built early, Rutherford was designed at the same time as Eliot and so consequently the design could not be adapted to take into account problems encountered with Eliot. Due to the contours of the hill on which the campus is built, the two colleges are not exactly alike and in later years annexe extensions and alterations were to further the differences.
As originally designed the college was poorly equipped for access by the mobility impaired and later adaptations have included the installation a lift and the opening up of some study bedroom corridors, now adapted into office space for academic departments, to provide a level free route through the college.
Dining
In addition to various vending machines around the college:- Rutherford Dining Hall - The primary dining location for all of the university's students living in catered accommodation.
- Bag It - A sandwich delicatessen with a touchscreen ordering system situated in Rutherford Dining Hall (Introduced 2009).
- Rutherford Bar - a cafe-bar, which serves food and coffees during the day, and functions as a regular bar in the evenings.
Live Music
Probably the college's finest moment was on the 11th November 1981 when the largely unknown U2U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
played the JCR. Other bands that played the college in the early eighties included Aswad, The Comsat Angels, New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
and Gene Loves Jezabel. The Dining Hall was regularly used twice a term in that period for live events often college balls including The Rag Ball in 1983.
Rutherford Bar
Prior to 2006, the bar was simply known as "Rutherford Bar", and was owned and maintained by Kent HospitalityUniversity of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
. In the Summer term of the 2005/06 academic year, it was rebranded as "The Atom". During the 07/08 Autumn term, Kent Union took on ownership. After an extensive refit (beginning in the last week of the Autumn term 2007 and continuing over the Christmas break) it was remodelled, the most notable difference being the movement of the bar itself to a more centralised position in the premises.
All preexisting furniture and lighting in the bar was replaced, and the balcony that overlooked the bar was closed off to make way for solid glass panes that incorporate frosted silhouettes. The renovations that took place cut off direct access to the Junior Common Room (JCR) through the bar, although access can still be gained via one set of double doors and a fire door. The name "Rutherford Bar" has been reinstated, and stylised as "RuTHErford BAR", emphasising "The Bar".
The kitchen serves mostly panini sandwiches, pizzas and salads, but is notable for being one of the few restaurants on campus that serves no burgers or fried food, due to a lack of extraction units in the kitchen.