LAING O’Rourke has started construction of a virus research centre at the University of Glasgow’s Garscube Campus.
The £20m Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Virus Research (CVR) will bring scientists researching viruses and viral diseases in humans and animals together under one roof.
The building, designed by Sheppard Robson Architects, supported by Arup engineering and cost manager Sweett Group, will receive £28m over the next five years from the MRC with an additional £10m from the university.
The Wellcome-Wolfson Capital Awards Initiative has also invested £4.8m in the centre.
The university, committed to sustainability in design and delivery, aims to achieve BREEAM Excellent status on completion which is scheduled for completion by June 2014.
Prof Palmarini said: “We are very excited that work has started on the construction of a dedicated building for the centre.
“The building will provide us with the kind of facilities we need to produce top-quality research in the field of human and animal diseases and tackle questions about viruses at all levels – from the structure of viruses themselves to their spread through animal and human populations.
“We are very grateful to the MRC and Wellcome-Wolfson Capital Initiative for their support and funding and eager to start work in the new premises.”
Meanwhile, a team led by ECD Architects and Page & Park is behind plans to create a £13.4m sports and social facility for the University of Glasgow.
The university approved the design at the end of the summer and the proposed redevelopment includes the demolition of the 1960s Glasgow University Union (GUU) extension on Gibson Street, which houses The Hive nightclub. The plan is to replace the buildings currently on site with a five-storey structure connecting the GUU to a existing nearby sports and recreation facility.
An application for planning consent has been submitted and demolition is expected to begin in February with construction kicking off in the spring.
The plans allow for greater public access so that local residents as well as students can use the facility.
Professor Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor, said: “It is an ambitious project and one that is part of our ongoing strategy to improve and invest in an innovative and efficient way.”
