Constructed during the 1950s, the James Watt South Lecture Theatre is a 200‑seat lecture hall known for its Art Deco domed ceiling. 

The university commissioned a full refurbishment in order to boost accessibility, strengthen the student experience and improve operations in the long-term.

The company, serving the role of lead advisor on the project, delivered a variety of services including, project management, cost management, principal design and structural engineering. 

The Glasgow-based team brought with it extensive knowledge of the university’s design standards, governance and quality needs due to its experience operating across the University of Glasgow Estates.

A notable result of the project is better accessibility, with upgrades such as levelled flooring at the top tier to form wheelchair‑accessible spaces, accessible doors with push‑button entry, as well as wheelchair‑height desks with adjustable seating. 

The original domed ceiling created some intricate refurbishment hurdles but these were addressed with an acoustic ceiling spray. Bespoke timber acoustic wall panelling also provided acoustic absorption. 

Hope Shaw, lead project manager at AtkinsRéalis said: “The refurbishment has significantly improved learning, teaching, and wellbeing for students, staff, and the wider university community, which were the key objectives for the project. But it also provided an opportunity to implement our values of collaborative problem solving and dedication to excellence.

“For me, the greatest success was delivering the project as part of a women‑led consultant and design team, demonstrating the value of inclusive practice in action. Representation like this is still rare in the built‑environment sector, and it was inspiring to see the impact diverse leadership can have on both project delivery and team culture.”

David Hall, director of Projects, University of Glasgow, added: “For all our Estates projects, teams are built by selecting the best-suited experts both internally and through our supply chain. 

“This outstanding project was largely delivered by our female experts, which is a really positive reflection of our strong EDI policies and the inclusive culture we’re building to support and nurture talent across our teams.”

The James Watt South Lecture Theatre refurbishment is the most recent project carried out by AtkinsRéalis for the University of Glasgow. The company has been working at the university since 2015 to aid the transformation of its facilities.