news
New Campus Glasgow selects design team
1 Sep 2009
New Campus Glasgow, the company set up to deliver a new campus for Glasgow's three merging city centre colleges, today (Fri Sep 11) announced Atkins as the design team for the landmark project.
Five world class companies, Archial, BDP, Hopkins (with Bennetts) RMJM (with Frank Gehry) and Atkins Ltd, had previously been shortlisted for the design of the campus which will be the new home of Central College Glasgow, Glasgow Metropolitan College and Glasgow College of Nautical Studies.
Vic Emery, Chair of the New Campus Glasgow Board, said: "This was an extremely difficult decision to make. We were only too aware of the responsibility of getting it right on the design for such a landmark project. The Team considered long and carefully the proposals from some of the best names in the business. However, I am confident that the right choice has been made in Atkins.
"The standard of the companies on the shortlist, and of the 49 who responded to the pre-qualification questionnaire, demonstrates the importance of this project. The new college will provide a unique platform for growth, with one in 10 of Scotland's learners already choosing the three constituent colleges. Working together will allow us to better position the new college as the first choice for further and higher education learning."
New Campus Glasgow Project Director Iain Marley detailed the next steps. He said: "The next stage involves taking the project brief to the next stage and refining our development strategy. This work will involve confirming the detailed accommodation requirements and developing the concept designs for the new estate. This information will in turn underpin the business case that will be presented to the Scottish Funding Council."
Paul Dollin, managing director for Atkins said: "We are absolutely delighted to have been selected to lead the New Campus Glasgow design team. Our selection is testament to our dedication, skills and capability to deliver world class major infrastructure projects such as this. The success of our bid is just reward for our education led design approach to the New Campus. We focused on the experience of the users and how the campus could become a catalyst for transforming education in Glasgow. We are looking forward to working with New Campus Glasgow and the colleges to create the landmark buildings which will deliver their shared vision."
Eric Tottman-Trayner, chair of the Super College's shadow board said: "I'd like to congratulate all those concerned for the hard work that has brought us to this significant stage of the project. The enabling stages are nearing completion allowing the more creative activities to begin and the shadow board encourages all stakeholders to join together in this most deserving project; a world class college for a world class city."
Atkins is one of the world's leading design and engineering consultancies, with the depth and breadth of technical expertise to respond both to the complex challenges of major infrastructure projects and the urgent transition to a low-carbon economy. The consultancy has held a long term presence in Scotland, with offices in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. It is one of the UK's largest design consultancies working in the education sector, offering specialist knowledge for all aspects of education design. Atkins has delivered landmark projects worldwide, from the sustainable exemplar, Northumbria University City Campus East in Newcastle, to one of the world's most famous and luxurious hotels, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.
A masterplan has been developed for the preferred option of an integrated campus on two sites - City Campus on Cathedral Street, currently home to Central and Metropolitan Colleges and Riverside Campus on Thistle Street, currently home to the Nautical College.
Building work is likely to begin in early 2012 and be completed in time for the Commonwealth Games in summer 2014. An early phase of the estates development is a Marine Skills Centre on the Clyde, which is already under construction.
