A deep history

The building is deliberately outward facing, welcoming students, visitors and the public, and showcasing the work of the SoE as a centre for research innovation, creative education and external engagement.

Set in a commanding position on the New University Square within the expansion of the Gilmorehill Campus, the SoE provides transformative teaching and research facilities within a park-side, historic urban setting. Arranged over six floors, it also includes an agile workplace for nearly 1,000 academic and support staff.

At the heart of the building is a 2,000 sq.m. Creativity Laboratory. This immersive and semi-public environment of makerspace, project space and workshops encourages students to explore ideas, prototypes and technical solutions, to stimulate knowledge exchange and to forge entrepreneurial relationships with industry partners.

The building embodies a genuinely unique approach to a Living Lab. Both Smart Building and Smart Campus technology is integrated into the building’s infrastructure to allow researchers and students to engage with the building’s energy and structural data and share it across the University. This ensures that the building plays a pivotal role on the Gilmorehill Campus in inter-disciplinary learning, teaching, research and civic engagement.