The £50 million facility will be a new home for the University’s Institute of Health and Wellbeing, bringing together staff working in 10 different sites across the city. 

Designed by Atkins, construction is due to complete by Multiplex in summer 2021. 

The University said the new building will help the institute prevent ill-health and reduce health inequalities. It will facilitate more opportunities for networking and collaboration, foster closer links with partner organisations and stakeholders, and be a forum for public engagement. 

The ground floor will be publicly accessible and dedicated to knowledge exchange and widening participation. 

Director of the Institute of Health & Wellbeing, Professor Jill Pell, said: “After a lot of hard work moving through the design and planning stages, we are pleased to begin construction on the Clarice Pears Building. 

“This will be a landmark building, revolutionising the study of health and wellbeing at Glasgow and positively influencing our impact on the city of Glasgow, Scotland and the world.

“It will bring academics and support staff together under one roof, supporting world-changing research, while allowing us to expand our knowledge exchange and stakeholder activities, maximising how our work translates into policy and practice.”

Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “This is a very welcome moment for the Institute of Health & Wellbeing and the University of Glasgow. This project creates the facilities which will underline our status as a leading institution in the study of health and wellbeing, improving health and tackling inequalities in Scotland and around the world.”

Architect David Ross from designers Atkins added: “It has been a pleasure working with the Institute over the last two years to realise their ambitions for their new building. The building will allow the Institute to build on the excellent work they already do by providing a new working environment that will support wider collaboration and public engagement.”

The building was named, following a £5m donation from the Pears Foundation.