Facade of Learning & Teaching building, University of Strathclyde
play and pause button

Campus updateLearning & Teaching Building

New learning & teaching hub

The £60 million Learning & Teaching Building is a collective space for all students and staff, comprising a variety of first-class learning and teaching facilities.

Opened in 2021, this pioneering hub is home to our student support services, Strathclyde Doctoral School and Strathclyde Students’ Union.

Built with a sharp focus on sustainability, the Learning & Teaching Building was created through the refurbishment and integration of two existing buildings – the Colville Building and the Category B-listed Architecture Building. 

Check out what's inside

Signs in the learning and teaching building

Inspirational women

The Learning & Teaching Building honours three prominent women:

  • The Professor Mary Dunn Wing – in honour of the University’s first female professor and Head of Department
  • The Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell Wing – in recognition of the renowned Astrophysicist, the first women President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the Institute of Physics
  • The Professor Jackie Kay Plaza - in recognition of the award-winning poet and author who, in 2016, was appointed the new Scots Makar

The names were chosen via a consultation and vote amongst the University’s students and staff.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal & Vice-Chancellor of Strathclyde, said: "It’s fitting that this important building is named after inspirational people who have made a fantastic impact on the world around them – and I hope it will inspire our future leaders in engineering, science, business, humanities and social sciences, to do the same, whatever career path they choose to follow."

What's inside?

The Learning & Teaching Building brings the majority of our student support services, Strath Union, as well as first-class teaching and learning facilities under one roof. The building has a total of eight levels. Levels 5, 7 & 8 are staff offices. Strathclyde Doctoral School is located on Level 6 and is open to staff and Doctoral students only.  

Roasters on level one of the Learning and Teaching Building

Level 1

Terrace area of the Learning and Teaching building

Level 2

Learning and Teaching building teaching spaces

Level 3

  • Teaching rooms
  • Learning Village 
  • Facilities Management office
  • Lost & Found
  • Grab & Go
  • Microwave facilities
  • Vending machines
Seating area in learning and teaching building

Level 4

Strath Union 

Located on Levels 1 & 2 of the Learning & Teaching Building is the new Strathclyde Students’ Union, Strath Union.

Strath Union is a hub for students to connect, socialise, eat and drink. It features music and events space plus accommodation to support more than 200 Societies and Sports Clubs, a bar, bistros, and coffee areas. 

The Union also provides volunteering and employment opportunities, advice and welfare services, as well as training and personal development workshops and seminars.

Strathclyde Doctoral School 

The Learning & Teaching building has a dedicated space for our postgraduate researcher community. All postgraduate researchers automatically become part of Strathclyde Doctoral School when they accept their place at Strathclyde.

Based on Level 6, our postgraduate researchers have easy access to the wider facilities within the Learning & Teaching building, including state-of-the-art study and knowledge exchange spaces. There are also hot desk facilities and a range of catering outlets.

Did you know?

Facts about the building:

  • the building has 'bring your own device' technology so you can present your ideas to groups anywhere in the building
  • it was built with sustainability in mind – by re-using fabric from the existing buildings, it’s achieved a 67% carbon reduction on a new build project
  • the building has a green roof to encourage biodiversity
  • In 2022, the building was awarded the category of Higher Education & Campus of the Architects’ Journal (AJ) Retrofit Awards.

Visiting us

The Learning & Teaching Building is located at 49 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XU. It is at the heart of our campus, overlooking Rottenrow Gardens. The main entrances to the building are:

  • level one to the Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell Wing via Richmond Street
  • level one of Strath Union via 51 Richmond Street
  • level three to the Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell Wing via 48 North Portland Street
  • level four to the Professor Mary Dunn Wing via Rottenrow

The building is open to staff and students from 7 am to 10 pm, 7 days per week.

Strath Union is located within the Learning & Teaching Building, on Levels 1 & 2. It can be accessed via 51 Richmond Street. Strath Union has various opening hours.