UCLan's £60 million student centre and square opens Monday

The University of Central Lancashire's £60 million student centre and square is opening on Monday 27 Sept, just as the students return for the new term.

UCLan’s new student centre represents a huge investment towards supporting the mental health and wellbeing of students and offers a new gateway into the University, as well as a regeneration boost for the area.

All of UCLan's student support services will now be housed in this building, from mental health provision and careers advice to course information and accommodation assistance.

The building itself has been created to help support student wellbeing and mental health, using natural light and various design techniques to help improve mood.

The centre also has a rooftop garden which offers stunning views of Preston, and has been created with wellbeing in mind through its planting of lavender and other aromas.

The roof even houses 150,000 home grown bees to help support local biodiversity, with the university intending to make their own UCLan honey from the hives as well.

The bees have been relocated from UCLan’s Westleigh House in Cottam where they have been nurtured for the last three years, and they will play an important role in pollinating the many thousands of new plants, shrubs and trees which have been planted across campus during the course of the University’s Campus Masterplan project.

The new University Square, which is one of the biggest public squares in the country, will offer a gateway into the campus and a place where the community and University can unite.

David Taylor, Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the University Board, said: “Beyond being a student wellbeing hub, the Student Centre and surrounding area are going to play a huge

role in strengthening our ties with Preston and supporting its continuing evolution both economically and socially.

“The Student Centre is a magnificent piece of architecture, which has been a collaborative process from start to finish and will act as a gateway to the University and the City, something that we can all enjoy and be proud of.”

The new development is the culmination of UCLan’s £200m Masterplan project, launched in 2015, which set out a vision to create a unified, sustainable and welcoming campus which

hopes to enhance the experience for all those visiting the University and benefiting the local area.