Architectural practice John McAslan + Partners (JMP) has been appointed to design a new GeoSciences Building for the University of Edinburgh.

The firm was selected for the project by winning a design competition. The scheme will see a new 17,500 sq m building built on the King's Building campus, consolidating the existing accommodation into one building.

A JMP spokesperson said: "The new design will encourage communication between researchers and at the same time inspire students by allowing them to see the entire workings of a department.


"A reinterpretation of the typical laboratory layout will achieve transparency throughout the building, visually connecting write-up areas, laboratories, group rooms and offices. The building will be unified by a dramatic central atrium."

Hannah Lawson, Project Director at JMP, added: "Our concept for the new building for the University of Edinburgh School of GeoSciences is for a global meeting place - a vibrant space that creates an atmosphere of discovery and encourages the interaction and exchange of ideas relating to the factors and forces that shape our world. The new building will significantly enhance the School's reputation as a world-class academic community."

(LM/MH)