Classes started immediately without opening ceremony
By Mireia Jimenez
Courtesy of the University of Aberdeen
The £35 million infrastructure has been in use since January 24, mostly for students from the disciplines of chemistry, medical sciences, biological sciences and geosciences.
The University took over the building from Robertson Construction Eastern on 2 December 2021, partner of the University for 20 years.
When asking why there has not been an opening ceremony, University communications stated:
“There will be an official opening later in the year. It is common practice for the ‘official opening event’ to happen several months after the operational opening of a new facility. This was the case with the SDR Library, the Sports Village and many others.”
The building includes three floors of teaching and laboratory space, as well as a fourth-floor “plant room”.
Robertson Construction Eastern explains its sustainable elements such as “recycled drilling pipes, reclaimed from the oil and gas industry, for steel driven piles” or “extensive recycling, such as reusable silicone sealant tubes, pallet take-back schemes, donating surplus materials to the community and PPE recycling”.
Also, they claim 96.84% of project waste was diverted from landfill.
Professor Pete Edwards, Vice-Principal Regional Engagement and Regional Recovery previously stated how:
“The Science Teaching Hub will provide our staff with a state-of-the-art facility within which to deliver chemistry, medical sciences, biological sciences and geosciences skills that are vital not only to the employability of our graduates, but the future success of the region."
