New STEM building progress welcomed by GMIT President

The President of GMIT, Dr Fergal Barry, warmly welcomes the appointment of the technical advisers to the Higher Education PPP programme, which includes the strategically important 5,500 m² STEM building project at GMIT’s Galway campus.

Dr Barry says: “This is the culmination of extensive work undertaken by GMIT colleagues in Science, Engineering, Finance and the Buildings and Estates Department working in close collaboration with colleagues in the Higher Education Authority (HEA) the Department of Education and Skills and the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), which appointed the design team since GMIT made its initial bid as part of a national competitive process to be included in this PPP project bundle”.

Dr Barry added “This project will further improve GMIT’s infrastructure, serving students of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in Galway and the Western region for decades to come, and is a further positive step by GMIT towards a Technological University.”

David Lee, Head of Buildings and Estates in GMIT, also welcomed the appointment of the technical advisors- design team and noted that GMIT had successfully worked with some of the practices selected on previous projects. The architectural team is led by a consortium consisting of Taylors, Henry J Lyons and Mullarkey Pederson architects.

GMIT had previously appointed Taylor architects to advise on its master plan as well as technical adviser on its brief for the STEM building. Mr Lee commented “Successful outcomes on those projects augurs well for a productive and efficient engagement on this project, with an initial objective of securing planning permission for the 5,500 sqm building”.

“GMIT intends to work closely with the design team as well as colleagues in the HEA, the Department and the NDFA to produce a top-class STEM building on GMIT’s high profile east-facing site on the Ballybane road, comparable to the highest third-level standards and consistent with GMIT’s trajectory towards a Technological University”.

Dr Des Foley, Head of School of Science & Computing, says: “In speaking with students, staff and our industry partners, we are hopeful that we can move ahead with this project as quickly as possible and present GMIT as a showcase for science and computing education in the West of Ireland.”

Gerard MacMichael, Head of the School of Engineering, says: “The new STEM building will provide engineering students with new laboratories equipped with state of the art equipment to enhance the skills and knowledge required for industry in the region and beyond. These facilities will include automation technology labs, biomedical engineering labs, virtual/augmented reality labs and design labs for example. They will also accommodate new approaches to the teaching and learning of engineering disciplines that bring engineering education into the 21st century.”