A £21 MILLION plan to transform the University of Stirling student experience was unveiled today (Thursday, April 26).

The Campus Central project is one of the university’s biggest infrastructure investments since its foundation, designed with input from the Students’ Union, staff and local stakeholders.

Professor Gerry McCormac, university principal and vice-chancellor, said: “The transformation of the centre of our campus is one of the university’s key ambitions to support the achievement of our strategic aims in learning, teaching and research.

“It will enable us to significantly enhance the Stirling student experience and to deliver facilities commensurate with our ambitions to be one of the top 25 universities in the UK.”

Astrid Smallenbroek, University of Stirling Students’ Union president, said: “The Students’ Union is excited by the university’s plans to transform the heart of the campus, to further enhance the student experience.

“We are working in partnership with the university on this project and particularly welcome further improvements to the university’s student support service facilities, and that Stirling students will benefit from new study and social learning spaces.”

The university said the Campus Central will:

  • Enhance its commitment to delivering an exceptional student experience, including new study and learning spaces – and enhanced student support facilities
  • Create vibrant learning and research collaboration spaces
  • Establish a new gateway to the Macrobert Arts Centre, enhancing existing connections with students, staff and the local community
  • Offer an improved retail and catering experience to better serve the university’s diverse, global community of staff, students and visitors
  • Enhance the visual appeal of the campus, maximising the impact of the natural surroundings

The Campus Central development is expected to begin in early 2019, and be completed around September 2020.

It will see the refurbishment of the existing Atrium, creation of a three-storey new building, and a re-landscaped, traffic-free Queen’s Court.

The project will see a new entrance and central welcome area for the Andrew Miller Building, with retail, catering, events space and student support services facilities.

It will also feature expanded and enhanced meeting and social learning and study space at the Atrium.

The Queen’s Court ground-floor level will provide the gateway to the Macrobert Arts Centre, student support services, meeting and multi-purpose learning spaces.

The upper second-floor will house an interdisciplinary, collaborative research space and the Graduate School.

More than 3,000m2 of additional floor space will be created to meet the needs of the growing University community, as well as circa 2,500m2 of refurbished Atrium space.

The development will improve connections between the loch-side entrance, residences, teaching zone, Students’ Union, Macrobert Arts Centre, Queen’s Court and Cottrell Building.

Stakeholder workshops and consultations with students, staff, and other users have taken place and will be ongoing to inform the development of the detailed design and layout.

Campus Central also encompasses changes to the transport flow in and around the campus, including the introduction of a new and improved transport hub, minor changes to car parking and new bus routes through the campus.

The works on these transportation changes will begin in mid-May and are expected to be completed in September 2018.

On completion of the main Campus Central building works, the Queen’s Court will be fully transformed into a pedestrianised zone, with the exception of access for emergency and service vehicles.