The 20,000sqm project comprised the refurbishment and adaptive re-use of two existing buildings, the Colville Building and the B-listed Architecture Building and created a new-build hub overlooking the University’s Rottenrow Gardens.

The Learning and Teaching project is a unique and collective hub for students and staff, comprising a variety of learning and teaching spaces, from small breakout spaces to a 400 seat lecture theatre. The range of spaces is reflective of the varying needs of activities throughout the building.

It also houses the Student Support Services and the Student Union to provide students with a central support facility at the heart of the campus.

Christoph Ackermann, principal at BDP, said: “There was a clear opportunity to re-use and adapt these existing buildings to improve the quality of the University’s campus and enhance the overall student experience.

“The decision to transform the existing buildings rather than a new-build project also has substantial sustainable benefits. Our Sustainability Team compared the embodied carbon of the adaptive re-use of the existing building structure to a notional new build equivalent and demonstrated that the project saved around 67% of CO2e.”

Martin Jarvie, architect associate at BDP, said: “Having studied architecture at the University of Strathclyde, this project was always close to heart. The Learning and Teaching Project will provide a new lease of life for the Architecture and Colville Building and it will be good to see students enjoying the variety of exciting spaces we have created.”

Graham Forsyth, project manager at the University of Strathclyde, said: “BDP have done a brilliant job transforming both the Colville and Architecture buildings into the Learning and Teaching Building hub. The delivery of this project will allow the University to achieve its core objective to enhance students’ learning, teaching and social experience through their time at Strathclyde.”

The University Campus remained fully operational throughout the process with BDP working with the University’s Estates Services and Main Contractor to help facilitate this. The first cohort of students to benefit from the new facilities are expected on campus in September.