A £60MILLION ‘flagship’ redevelopment of two Strathclyde University buildings into a learning and teaching hub at the heart of the campus has been approved by Glasgow City Council planners.
The university has been given permission for the project involving the Colville Building and the B-Listed Architecture Building.
The scheme is described as “the single largest strategic investment in teaching and learning in the university’s history”.
It will “co-locate state-of-the-art learning and teaching spaces, student-facing services, and the Student Union within the same development.”
How the complex will look, as viewed from Rottenrow Gardens at Richmond Street
A report by planning officials states: “The overarching aim of this proposal is to transform these former departmental specific buildings into a new non-departmental teaching and learning space at the heart of the campus. The buildings will be used for central teaching, as a learning resource and a social hub for the university.”
As well as external alterations to both buildings, a link building will be created between them housing a learning village.
The current appearance of the Architecture Building, left, and the Colville Building
Project features include:
— Learning and group spaces of varying sizes, ranging from four to eight seats up to a 400-seat
lecture theatre
— A large flexible social space suitable for use for assembly, plus social break-out spaces for students
— Catering facilities, plus Market Street, a flexible multi-purpose space for student and university exhibitions and events
— Student Services accommodation, and flexible, open-plan staff accommodation
— Student Union with dedicated entrance, and Campus Security offices
The university say the complex will provide leading-edge teaching facilities and become a beacon for learning excellence.
It states: “The new development will meet the needs of our student population growing in size and diversity. There is a projected growth of 30 per cent in the number of our overseas students over the next five years. The building will accommodate innovative, flexible learning in a broad range of disciplines.”
Completion of the building project is due by 2020.
Approval was also given last month for an £18million redevelopment of the university’s Wolfson Building.
