28th August 2014 By
The Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland unveiled the new facilities at the Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment built by Clark Contracts.
Professor Muffy Calder officially opened the £3m state-of-the-art teaching extension at SCENE, Scotland’s flagship centre for ecological field research. The event marked the completion of a total replacement of SCENE’s facilities begun with the development of a £3.6m research wing, which opened in 2007.
SCENE, located on the shores of Loch Lomond, is the University of Glasgow’s environmental science field station. Established in 1946 as the first of its kind in the UK, SCENE’s access to Loch Lomond’s pristine aquatic and terrestrial environments makes it ideal for research, teaching and training in ecology and environmental science.
Professor Calder, who is also Professor of Formal Methods in the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science, said: “Scotland’s natural landscape has inspired people for generations, and this is a wonderful setting for science research. Scientists at SCENE are well placed to help us understand more about our environment, and to give us the tools we need to make best use of it and protect it for years to come.”
The Harry Slack Teaching Building provides a major boost to SCENE’s undergraduate and postgraduate education facilities. It incorporates a new lecture theatre, teaching laboratory, specialist stores and accommodation for 45 students and teachers.
Professor Colin Adams, Director of SCENE, said: “The expansion of our research building has increased our research capacity threefold in recent years and our researchers are working in some fascinating areas. We’re excited about the prospects for teaching offered by our new facility. The extension does a fantastic job of showcasing our surroundings in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Our classrooms, which were designed to let in natural light and highlight our picturesque location, might well be the most beautiful in the UK.”
Look inside our Head Office:
Look inside our Edinburgh Office