THE University of Edinburgh has tipped a new building to transform education, research and industry collaboration in engineering.
The Engineering Forum will support learning and research in fields such as renewable energy systems and future electronics.
Located at the King’s Buildings campus, the facility will bring together academics, students and sector partners in a purpose-built environment for the University’s School of Engineering.
Designed by Building Design Partnership and constructed by McLaughlin & Harvey, the building has been created to prioritise collaboration, sustainability and flexibility. The Forum incorporates advanced technical spaces, including high-specification laboratories, alongside innovation hubs and shared areas designed to foster interdisciplinary working.
Each of four teaching rooms is named for an influential woman engineer, including Maria Watkins, the first woman to study electrical engineering at Edinburgh and former president of the Women’s Engineering Society.
The Power Teaching Lab, a specialist teaching facility providing experience in power systems and electronics, will also relocate to the new building.
The Institute for Energy Systems – a multidisciplinary research institute – has expanded its facilities within the building, adding new labs and workspaces to support its work in low-carbon energy systems, technology and policy.
A £2 million grant from the Wolfson Foundation will create a new laboratory within the Institute. Equipped with equipment to support the development of sustainable energy technologies in offshore renewables, the Wolfson Electrical Power Conversion Lab is set to open this summer.
Plans to create the building have been developed over a 10-year period, with construction beginning in 2023.
Professor Guangzhao Mao, head of the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, said, “The Engineering Forum provides an outstanding environment for both teaching and research. Designed to support innovative approaches to integrated learning and discovery, it equips students with the skills and experience required to shape the future of engineering and technology.
“As a focal point for engineering excellence, it reinforces the university’s standing as a global leader in research and innovation, while enhancing the student experience and contributing to Scotland’s reputation as a centre for technological advancement.”
Dougie McCusker, construction director at McLaughlin & Harvey, added, “We’re proud to have delivered our seventh project for our valued client, The University of Edinburgh. Working within a live campus environment can present its challenges, however, close collaboration with the university and our design partners has resulted in a cutting-edge learning space for future students studying at the university’s new School of Engineering building.”
