University’s revamp timeline takes shape

Education: Plans expected to be lodged as early as next week

Aberdeen University has confirmed its multimillion-pound ambitions could be realised as early as September 2022.

A p p l i c a t i o n s f o r planning permission are expected to be lodged with the city council as early as next week.

The university has outlined proposals to create “flagship” buildings on the King’s campus to prepare for an expected growth in student numbers in the next decade.

As the fastest-growing school at the university, bosses are particularly keen to improve the business school’s current facilities.

Their plans will lead to the school relocating from the MacRobert Building to a new single-site base in the Johnston Halls, which are currently empty but will undergo a major refurbishment.

In what has been called the “Johnston redevelopment” the former hall’s central block will make way for a new twostorey pavilion, alongside a remodelled courtyard.

The building will include several social spaces and a purpose-built Bloomberg Room, allowing students to access software used throughout the financial industry.

The university has taken steps to ensure that only two trees – and some of the traditional granite setts – will have to be removed from the neighbouring green space to make way for developments.

New life will also be breathed into the disused student halls in the form of 215 offices and an additional 274 bed spaces.

The university is hoping to make use of the physically sound structures, updating where necessary to make the building energy-efficient.

The proposals took a major step forward in December when they were endorsed by the institution’s governors.

Meanwhile, the proposed improvements for King’s College will be completed the following summer in 2023.

Refurbishments are being lined up to enhance facilities in the immediate area of King’s College including a new atrium.

Other projects are also in the pipeline with the aim of improving accessibility across the campus.

Work on the east-west accessibility route is expected to begin this summer if planning permission is approved.

The project will see a number of routes overhauled and flagstones placed while maintaining as many of the historic setts as possible.

It comes after they were not deemed to be conducive to disabled access.

VISION: An initial design concept for the redevelopment of Johnston Halls, part of Aberdeen University’s multi-million-pound plans