University of Glasgow appoints architects for its new engineering building

Architects Woods Bagot has been appointed to design and deliver the University of Glasgow’s new engineering building as part of the university’s £1bn campus development programme.

The state-of-the-art building will be home to the university’s School of Engineering as part of plans to redevelop the 14-acre site of the former Western Infirmary in the west end of Glasgow.

The building, described by the University of Glasgow as a “living laboratory”, will be driven by ‘smart building’ and ‘smart campus’ technologies.

Teaching spaces and laboratories will be included in the new building. A particular focus will be the Creativity Lab, which will accommodate workshops, plus advanced visualisation and data analysis facilities. The idea is that students will be able to develop as creative engineers, including engaging with industry and building teams for international engineering competitions.

University of Glasgow professor Margaret Lucas, who leads the project, said the development will not only support world-class learning and teaching but also provide a collaborative and creative space, helping to drive discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Glasgow is renowned for engineering innovation, and the discoveries made here have shaped the world around us for centuries,” Lucas added. “This is now an opportunity to change how we do engineering at the University of Glasgow, and create our future world-shaping engineering heritage.”

Woods Bagot principal, Jonathan Leah added: “We are delighted to be collaborating with the University of Glasgow and its passionate and engaged group of stakeholders to provide user-centric solutions that address the Engineering Building’s needs now and well into the future.”