Plans have been submitted for a new building to replace the Darwin Tower at the University of Edinburgh.
Glasgow architects BMJ have put forward the plans and have released concept images of what the new building, entitled ‘New Darwin’, would look like.
Located at the University’s King’s Buildings Campus, the Darwin Tower is the hub for the School of Biological Sciences.
The development will involve the demolition of the existing Darwin Tower, to be replaced by a new research, teaching, and innovation building that is fit for the world-leading research and teaching
Architects say they will deliver a building of a reduced height and more appropriate scale, akin to the adjacent buildings and landscape, offering significant visual and environmental improvement to the campus, city, and surrounding areas.
Professor Thorunn Helgason, Head of School said: “It has been exciting to work with BMJ Architects to co-create this inspirational space.
“Designed to bring together diverse communities, it will foster the formal and informal connections that lead to the ground-breaking interdisciplinary research and teaching for which the School of Biological Sciences is celebrated.”
BMJ Architects' design will create both a new "front door" and focal point for the school, and with physical linkages to the existing buildings, will transform the corner of the campus into a modern bioscience hub.
Central to the New Darwin building is a series of cutting-edge research laboratories, supported by an innovation environment encompassing incubator space, collaborative workspaces, and public engagement facilities, all working in harmony to support the diverse and evolving needs of the biological sciences community.
The building will provide state-of-the-art postgraduate teaching laboratories and learning spaces, embedding research-led learning amongst world-class bioscience to equip graduates with interdisciplinary knowledge and industry-ready skills.
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The overall design will embody a natural contemporary feel throughout, from the earth tones in the façade to the natural materials and daylighting in the interiors, to provide a sustainable, collaborative, and welcoming environment that supports health & wellbeing, and fosters community and interaction.
The project has been designed with Scotland’s Net Zero Carbon targets in mind and in accordance with the Scottish Futures Trust NZPSB Standard. It is jointly funded by the University, The Darwin Trust of Edinburgh, the the UKRI Research Partnership Investment Fund (RPIF), and the Garfield Weston Foundation.
A BMJ Architects spokesperson added: “Sustainability and biodiversity have been embedded within the design process from inception, to reflect both the University of Edinburgh’s and BMJ Architects’ commitment to deliver a sustainable design that is innovative and collaborative in reducing whole-life carbon emissions.
“The New Darwin building will be an exemplar in establishing a benchmark for future campus development in respect of achieving the University’s Climate Strategy goal to become a Net Zero Carbon university by 2040.”
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