Key Facts
- Client: Glasgow Caledonian University
- Balfour Beatty company involved: Balfour Beatty Construction
- In November 2003, Balfour Beatty Construction was awarded the £18.5 million contract to construct a new learning centre for Glasgow Caledonian University
- This award followed Balfour Beatty's appointment as one of the University's framework contractors the previous year
- The construction of the Saltire Centre took 24 months
- It is the largest single project commissioned by Glasgow Caledonian University within its current construction programme
- The building is not only a library and resource centre, but also a student services centre and the major social space within the university
- This space is a double height, 2,000m² services mall and learning café
- Entrance to the Centre is via an elevated bridge floating above a landscaped court yard, entering the building on the gallery level
- Internally, timber was used extensively throughout, including European beech flooring and doors, and American Douglas fir glulam beams
- Innovative, highly-efficient ventilation systems were installed, reducing energy requirements
- Under-floor heating ensures that only the occupied low-level zone of the space is heated, reducing energy consumption further
- Computer simulation software analysed the bulk air movements within the building, determining the correct treatment for the atrium glazing to ensure optimum use of solar energy without overheating the space
- The Saltire Centre has become a flagship for state-of-the-art educational buildings, with visitations from universities as far afield as Australia and New Zealand
- Within the UK market the project is viewed as a benchmark for higher education and the entire spectrum of schools and colleges
- It is a 2006 RIBA award winner
