Published Date:
02 July 2009
By MARK McLAUGHLIN
NAPIER University's new state-of-the-art Sighthill campus has been revealed in these exclusive new images.
The artist's impressions, released today, show what the multi-million pound eco-friendly building will look like once complete.
The project is due to be finished in October 2010 and will become the new home of the university's Faculty of Health, Life and Social Sciences.
A topping out ceremony was held at the site yesterday.
The new campus is expected to act as a catalyst for wider re- generation in the North Sighthill area, and will provide community access to new state-of-the-art sports facilities, health clinics and other complimentary services.
It will be the first time that the faculty will be located under one roof – providing cutting-edge learning, teaching and research facilities for some 5,000 students and staff.
Professor Dame Joan Stringer, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: "The topping out ceremony is an important milestone in the Sighthill redevelopment, a project which will not only create a landmark campus fit for 21st century learning but will also benefit the community in which we operate. Bringing the Faculty of Health, Life and Social Sciences under one roof will allow us to further develop cross-sector clinical skills education and to build on our world-leading research and knowledge transfer capabilities.
"We anticipate that our campus will act as a catalyst for further regeneration of Sighthill and we will play an active role in developing a healthier Scotland by providing access to new sports facilities, health clinics and other services."
One of the university's own students is helping in the project. Apprentice quantity surveyor Keir Anderson, 19, was due to start a degree in quantity surveying at Napier last year when he was snapped up by Sighthill Campus contractors Balfour Beattie, who convinced him to do the degree over six years under their expert tutelage in exchange for a chance to work on the new campus.
He said: "I work at Balfour Beattie four days a week and I'm at Merchiston Campus on the last day.
"The new campus will be home to the Faculty of Health, Life and Social Sciences so I won't get to use the campus myself, but the students who do will benefit from some great facilities.
"Merchiston is getting quite old now, and the facilities at Sighthill will be closer to those at Craiglockhart Campus."
He is also excited about Sighthill's new five-storey centrepiece
adding: "It's a curved building and a really interesting design, and it's been great to be involved in it from the start."
The full article contains 446 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
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Last Updated:
02 July 2009 10:14 AM
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Source:
Edinburgh Evening News
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Location:
Edinburgh
