Lend Lease’s Glasgow team helps launch £81m Ayr Campus
Published by Anne Marie Hughes on Sat 09 Jun 12 @ 22:14
Bill McKelvey, Mike Russell MSP, Gordon Anderson and Principal Seamus McDaid.
Lend Lease has helped the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) officially launch their new £81 million Ayr Campus.
Executive General Manager, Scotland, Gordon Anderson joined Michael Russell MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning), Lord Jamie Lindsay (Chairman of the SAC Board) and Lord Robert Smith (Chancellor of UWS) to perform the formal launch on Friday.
The new 18,000m2 campus, constructed by Lend Lease, was developed by UWS in partnership with SAC and is situated on the Craigie Estate, next to the River Ayr.
The new campus is part of UWS's multi-campus £200million development programme and was developed in consultation with Historic Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. It provides Ayrshire with one of the UK's most modern, environmentally friendly and sustainable Higher Education learning environments.
The building is designed to the highest environmental rating - BREEAM Excellent (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) - adopting sustainable strategies within it design and operation.
Gordon Anderson, Executive General Manager in Scotland for Lend Lease, said: "We are immensely proud of our professional performance and safe delivery of the stunning new Ayr Campus to the University of the West of Scotland, which adds to our proven track record in the education sector.
"In particular, Lend Lease fulfilled its commitment to using local labour with a high number of jobs created for local people during the construction process as well as many of the materials being sourced from the region.
"This event celebrated the opening of a first class learning environment for future generations of students and we wish Principal McDaid and all at the University the very best in their new home."
Cabinet Secretary for Education Michael Russell said: "This kind of joining up, which will have benefits for both institutions and their students, is precisely the kind of partnership we want to see as we reform Post-16 education in Scotland. And as someone brought up in the neighbouring town of Troon, it is a particular pleasure to see such innovation so close to my former home!"
Mark Batho, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: "There is overwhelming evidence that new buildings lead to better learning. This wonderful new campus now gives staff and students from both institutions the opportunity to demonstrate that."
The £81 million Ayr Campus development includes new student residences, situated adjacent to the Campus.
