Case Study Sheffield Hallam use time-lapse to promote Howard Street build with prospective students
Sheffield Hallam University appointed us at Time-Lapse Systems to deliver construction time-lapse and site monitoring for the Howard Street development, a major city centre campus scheme forming part of its long term estate strategy. Delivered over an extended programme within a live university environment, the project required a reliable and continuous method of documenting progress from demolition through to completion. Our systems captured the full construction lifecycle across multiple academic buildings, creating a clear visual record that supports estates management, stakeholder reporting and long term communications. For universities, contractors and project teams, construction time-lapse photography provides a practical way to evidence delivery, improve programme visibility and reduce reliance on fragmented reporting. This case study demonstrates how professional construction camera systems can support complex, multi phase campus developments where duration, scale and stakeholder engagement demand a consistent and verifiable record of progress.
Project Overview
We were appointed to deliver a comprehensive time-lapse and site monitoring solution for Sheffield Hallam University’s Howard Street development on the Sheffield City Campus- a major academic infrastructure project forming part of the university’s long-term capital investment strategy.
The development delivered three new landmark academic buildings- Charles Street, Eric Mensforth Building, and the new Institute of Social Sciences facility- creating modern, purpose-built teaching environments at the heart of the university estate. The scheme focused exclusively on high-quality academic and faculty space.
The new facilities now accommodate Sheffield Business School, the Institute of Law and Justice, the Institute of Social Sciences, and the Architecture subject group from the Institute of Creative Industries, consolidating key departments into state-of-the-art buildings designed to enhance collaboration, innovation, and the overall student experience.
As the UK’s leading provider of professional university construction time-lapse and site monitoring systems, we delivered a complete visual record of the Sheffield Hallam City Campus development from demolition and early works through to structural completion and final handover- supporting estates oversight, stakeholder communication, and long-term digital marketing asset creation.
Project Fact file
The Client and Project Context
Sheffield Hallam University continues to invest significantly in its estate, with a focus on improving the student experience through high-quality teaching, residential, and support facilities. The Howard Street development delivers purpose-built teaching facilities at the university’s core campus.
Given the scale, duration, and visibility of the project, the university required a reliable way to document progress, demonstrate delivery, and create engaging visual content that could be used beyond construction.
The Challenge
The central location and extended build programme meant traditional progress reporting alone could not fully communicate the transformation of the site.
Monitoring works within a live university environment presented a number of practical and technical constraints.
Two 6K time-lapse and site monitoring cameras were required to capture activity across the site from the Arundel and Owen buildings, providing opposing viewpoints to ensure maximum coverage of the works.
Both buildings presented a key challenge: there were no suitable bracing points available for securing equipment, and a core requirement of the project was that no hard fixings could be made to the fabric of the buildings.
To overcome this, bespoke, structurally certified, wind-loaded freestanding scaffold camera stands were deployed, providing stable and non-invasive mounting solutions in an exposed urban environment.
Our three-person engineering team installed both specialist freestanding systems in a single day, working closely with Sheffield Hallam’s Facilities Management team to ensure a smooth, safe and coordinated installation.
Demolition and Early Works Time-Lapse at Sheffield Hallam Science Park
Our time-lapse capture began in February 2021, providing a consistent visual record as demolition activities progressed and the site transitioned towards redevelopment. For university estates teams and project managers, this period is often one of the most sensitive stages of a project, requiring clear oversight, accurate reporting and effective stakeholder communication.
Our Solution
At Time-Lapse Systems, we installed our bespoke, in-house developed time-lapse cameras at the outset of the project. Our systems remained operational throughout the full construction period, capturing high-resolution imagery from initial groundworks through to structural completion and final external works.
The cameras were strategically positioned to maintain a consistent viewpoint across the entire site, allowing each phase of the build to be recorded clearly and coherently. Images were captured at regular intervals, remotely monitored by our technical team, and securely stored on our servers to ensure data integrity and continuity.
Our team provided ongoing system monitoring and maintenance throughout the project, ensuring reliable operation in all weather conditions and giving the client confidence that progress was being comprehensively documented at every stage.
THE OUTCOME
Following completion, our post-production team edited the captured imagery into a polished time-lapse film.
The finished film has been featured on Sheffield Hallam University’s official campus development webpages.
The video has also been utilised as part of the university’s e-marketing campaigns to prospective students and shared across internal Hallam staff channels.
The university now retains a complete visual archive of the development for future estates planning, reporting, and communications.
SECTOR EXPERIENCE
This project reflects Time-Lapse Systems’ extensive experience working with educational institutions across the UK. From student accommodation and teaching facilities to complex campus developments, we support universities and colleges by delivering dependable visual documentation that aligns with both operational and strategic objectives.
With national coverage and fully managed systems designed, built, and supported in-house, we provide end-to-end time-lapse solutions tailored to the specific needs of each project.
Why Time-Lapse Systems
Time-Lapse Systems is the UK’s most experienced provider of professional time-lapse photography and site monitoring services. Our clients benefit from high-resolution imaging, secure data management, remote system monitoring, and professional post-production, all delivered through a single, trusted partner.
We are proud to have supported Sheffield Hallam University on the Howard Street development and to continue delivering high-quality time-lapse solutions across the education, construction, and public sectors nationwide.
By Numbers
2
time-lapse cameras
180,407
images captured
The benefits of using our services:
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Reduces the need for frequent site visits by providing clear, remote visibility of progress
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Gives project teams an objective, time-stamped record of activity across the site
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Simplifies reporting to clients, funders, boards and stakeholders with visual evidence
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Improves programme oversight by clearly showing sequencing and interfaces between trades
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Supports faster, more confident decision-making with live and historic site imagery
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Strengthens accountability and provides valuable evidence for reviews or disputes
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Removes operational burden by fully managing installation, monitoring and outputs
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Helps teams work more efficiently across multiple sites from a single viewing platform
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Creates a permanent project archive that adds value long after completion
If you would like to have an informal chat about our services, please get in touch.
