New Sighthill Campus officially opens

Our exciting, new £60m state-of-the-art campus in Sighthill opened to 4500 students on 10 January 2011.

Students from the Faculty of Health, Life and Social Sciences are now based on the campus.  The Faculty comprises two Schools – the School of Life, Sport & Social Sciences and the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Care – which have been brought together in one location for the first time.

The 24,345m2 building is the equivalent in size to three and a half football pitches. At its core is the eight storey block which was retained from the old university buildings, while a further 13,833m2 was developed and integrated around it.

The new campus offers students and staff a huge range of top-class facilities including:

Classrooms, 25 specialist teaching rooms, 9 clinical skills laboratories - including life-like Hospital Wards including High Dependency Unit simulator suites which mimic intensive care treatment areas for training nurses, state-of-the-art crime scene and forensics rooms, six project rooms and five research facilities and centralised University administration rooms.
 
A brand new sports facility which, in addition to a 200m2 gym and 1200m2 sports hall, includes a biomechanics laboratory and an environmental chamber which can recreate high altitude conditions with controllable temperature and humidity levels to simulate varying climatic conditions.

A five storey Learning Resource Centre (library and IT facilities) with floor to ceiling windows on the top floor which enjoy 180 degree spectacular panoramic views taking in  Corstorphine Hill, Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat, Blackford Hill and the Pentland Hills.

Three modern IT-enabled lecture theatres, the largest holding 350 people.

An open plan, four-storey atrium with a healthy eating café and Starbucks franchise.

The new campus is a beacon of sustainability and has already been awarded a BREEAM “excellent” rating. Low carbon emissions and effective overall energy performance play a key part of the design. During construction, 8,000m3 of demolition material was recycled and incorporated into the new building.

Professor Dame Joan Stringer DBE, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University said: “I am exceptionally proud of this new landmark building for the city.  I believe that we have created a truly special centre for the teaching of health, science and sports of which both our students and Scotland can be proud. The architectural wow factor and innovative facilities combine to make it a first class environment in which to learn.

“In this boldly designed campus we have fantastic sports teaching facilities, mock hospital wards, laboratories and state of the art lecture theatres.

“I am particularly delighted that we have delivered this on time, on budget and in an environmental manner. It is a fantastic example of success for our students, who will be able to hit the ground running in careers as nurses, scientists and sports science experts.”

The building was designed by RMJM architects and constructed by Balfour Beatty.

For more information visit www.napier.ac.uk/sighthill