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Estates Strategy
Abertay will use its estate to create a more inclusive, connected and sustainable campus that supports students, staff and the city around us.
Abertay will use its estate to create a more inclusive, connected and sustainable campus that supports students, staff and the city around us.
The Abertay University Estates Strategy 2025–30 outlines a transformative vision for the physical campus and aligns with the University Strategy 2025–30. Its purpose is to ensure that the University's estate considers and enhances every aspect of our staff and students' daily lives on campus.
Implementation of a technology-led, inclusive and sustainable learning environment underpins key institutional priorities; enhancing student and staff wellbeing, enabling innovation in teaching and research, and contributing to the University's net-zero ambitions.
The strategy focuses on the following key areas for achieving our objectives:
Inclusivity: ensuring spaces are accessible both physically and digitally.
Space: creating inspiring, flexible and wellbeing-focused environments.
Sustainability: embedding environmental responsibility into every aspect of the estate.
Technology: advancing connectivity between Estates and digital infrastructure, leading to a smart campus.
This forward-looking approach ensures that Abertay's physical infrastructure evolves in step with its academic and civic mission.
Abertay has a unique presence in the Higher Education sector. We offer pioneering and exciting courses and whilst we are strongly rooted in Dundee and the wider Tayside region, we have international recognition in research and teaching. We value our connection to Dundee and foster high levels of social mobility in the home population. Abertay has been a leader in enabling access to university and preparing students for work for over 135 years. Gaining University status in 1994 enhanced our contribution to Higher Education and the specific opportunities offered by Abertay University to our students. We remain committed to teaching a broad range of subjects and to using our research and specialist expertise to support the development of industry and commerce.
Every area of our campus should reflect these characteristics and underpin our approach to equality, diversity and inclusivity. The look, feel and functionality of the space should respond to the needs of our diverse student population and this is considered later in the strategy.
We will protect our heritage whilst blending it with new ideas in teaching and learning. The campus will flourish as we implement our strategic vision, ensuring the estate contributes to the student and staff experience at Abertay University.
As well as rigorous appraisal of each investment, we will integrate our Estates Development plans with our forward financial plans to maintain financial resilience and protect financial sustainability.
Our Estate Strategy vision links to the University Strategy 2025–30 through the enablement of accessibility, space and sustainability.
Operating within a well-designed estate will make us:
easy to connect – our Digital Strategy gives a virtual window to every area of the University and university life.
easy to engage with – in person, online, on social media or through any hybrid approach – our people are here for all our staff, students and visitors.
easy to access and navigate when on campus – safe, secure and accessible for all our staff, students and visitors.
We want our real estate to be:
developed to encourage learning and research – spaces to promote collaborative or individual learning and research, with technology to support hybrid working and resources to serve students and staff.
developed to inspire – interior and exterior spaces designed to stimulate enhanced teaching, learning and the infrastructure to promote our work in Research and Knowledge Exchange.
developed to reflect – in a landscape of evolving digital technology and academic pressures, create secure spaces on campus that promote wellbeing through quiet time and contemplation.
Through a focus on sustainability we will be:
progressive and realistic in our net zero pathway – with innovation at the heart of our decarbonisation plans.
progressive in health and wellbeing initiatives – a thoughtful and mindful relationship with people and places at the University.
progressive in support of our academic offer – creating conditions that enable and accelerate the delivery of our Sustainable Development Strategy.
We will integrate our operations on a digital platform:
Environmental controls – optimised to manage our carbon footprint associated with Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
Space management – occupancy monitoring interconnected with building management systems to support the best possible student and staff experience.
Artificial Intelligence – intuitive access to operational platforms bringing efficiencies in our Facilities Management service.
Our approach is consultative and inclusive. We will continue to have authentic conversations across the University community which must allow for:
everyone's voice to be heard.
productive and healthy dialogue – to ensure all points of view and perspectives are considered.
feedback from the Student Success Strategy and People Strategy.
consensus – to determine the optimum outcome and ensure alignment with the University Strategy 2025–30.
Co-creation is the result of collaboration and is a proven route to success in development of the Estates Strategy. It promotes the experiential nature of space and provides an environment which naturally develops creativity in thought. Our strategy will always consider how it feels to study and work at Abertay University. To meet this objective, each project will have an Equality Impact Assessment as an intrinsic part of the design process.
We have a multi-stakeholder, University-wide forum for discussing how we continue to evolve all areas of our campus to ensure it remains leading edge and fit for purpose in the 21st century. The forum considers ideas, suggestions and issues, including Operational Plans, from all the University community. Proposals are considered and balanced against value for money, appropriateness and practicability before proceeding through to delivery.
The space management forum considers topics such as the utilisation and rationalisation of existing space to develop clear guidance on the use of teaching space, hybrid environments and the integration of technology to support flexible teaching. The forum considers opportunities to promote the "out of class" experience, providing designated and identifiable social space, actively seeking feedback and identification of future improvement areas.
Delivery of the strategy will be progressed through focusing on the following key areas:
Look and Feel
Infrastructure Planning and Development
Digital Strategy and Estate Connectivity
Sustainability including Climate Change Adaptation
Efficient and Effective Campus Operations
Performance Monitoring, Communications and Governance
The external surroundings and conditions in which we live influence a person's health and wellbeing. Staff and students need to feel safe and secure, and the campus should be a welcoming and attractive environment for all.
Through stakeholder consultation, the following look and feel attributes have been identified:
Develop an environment for thriving Research and Knowledge Exchange.
Flexible and adaptable space aligned with organisational priorities and the ability to evolve in response to future trends.
A campus that puts safety as a priority and operates within "The Prevent" duties framework of legislation including "Martyn's Law".
Every space is an opportunity to nurture research, teaching, learning and collaboration.
Surrounded by knowledge – our academic teams, students, books and digital resources.
Spaces for thinking, reflecting and focusing.
Spaces to meet and socialise with friends, colleagues and peers.
Technologies and tools to support all our staff and students' teaching and learning experience.
Promote sustainability, health and wellbeing.
A campus which is easily accessible for all our staff, students and visitors.
Creative and innovative spaces to inspire.
Our current infrastructure masterplan includes provision for a new low carbon Energy Centre within the campus boundary. The new infrastructure proposals take into account our aspirations to develop and connect our infrastructure to form a critical element of a city-wide heat network with other organisations beyond the boundary of the campus.
The masterplan also establishes a new academic facility with a focus on health and wellbeing. This will give an identity and an accessibility to our campus which will complement the improved urban realm in the northwest quarter of the city centre and support our work in climate change adaptation.
This programme for infrastructure upgrade and facilitating growth in our estate is the vehicle for reaching our net zero carbon objectives. We use the "Theory of Change" to set our desired outcomes at the planning stage and map our activities to meet the desired outcomes.
All of this is developed within a collaborative model with external partners, most notably Scottish Government and Dundee City Council.
Our Digital Strategy is progressing at pace and its implementation is supported and augmented through our Estates Strategy.
Our Estates Strategy is evolving to make certain that digital systems associated with our real estate sit seamlessly within the operating platform across campus. Integration and connectivity are essential in a technology-led solution which targets efficiency, cost saving and security as key performance indicators.
We recognise the constant change in digital operating platforms and devices, so our aim is to ensure a leading-edge digital experience which includes the following examples:
Enable all mobile devices so they connect easily to meeting spaces, lecture theatres, show-and-tell spaces.
High-quality wireless strategy which extends throughout the campus and helps any space to become a learning space.
Interoperability between systems, for example Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) and occupancy sensing.
Apps to incentivise smart space management and energy efficiency.
Apps to link and support engagement with relevant digital communities.
Utilisation of Artificial Intelligence on our facilities management platform to provide an intuitive experience.
At Abertay University, our approach to sustainability recognises the need for partnerships between our students, staff, suppliers, community and wider stakeholders. In doing so we seek to integrate sustainability into everything we do, recognising that we must act as stewards of the Earth for future generations. We strive to be kind and considerate to all – our staff, students, suppliers, partners, collaborators and citizens of Dundee – and to make sure we earn our place as a city partner.
The infrastructure masterplan proposal clarifies our pathway to net zero carbon energy through a combination of low carbon energy production, renewable energy sources and distinct focus on our energy demand across the campus.
Our energy demand management analysis includes projects to improve thermal efficiency of building fabric and upgrade control systems to ensure energy is being used where and when it is needed.
Our Sustainable Development Strategy sets out wider-reaching objectives in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
As a city centre anchor institution, Abertay University approaches its societal obligations seriously. Situated in the centre of a city with specific economic challenges has informed our Estates Strategy and its support specifically of our Civic Engagement Strategy. We have a unique opportunity to contribute to community wealth building.
Adaptation of our campus supports our pathway to net zero and provides resilience in our estate to climate change. Given the city centre location of our campus we are limited in what realistically can be done in terms of adaptation. Our infrastructure masterplan includes surface water attenuation which will convert existing hard urban realm to biodiverse landscaping.
We are bound to annual reporting to government on our climate change duties and set out targets and initiatives within our Sustainable Development Strategy.
The University has invested in a cloud-based Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) software platform to deliver efficient and effective campus operations.
It will enable core services to be delivered in new, cost-effective ways and ensure our specialised resources are focused on where they will have most benefit.
Software operating systems are now being integrated as part of the Estates and Digital Strategies in our move to a smart campus where interoperability of CAFM, BEMS, access controls and Occupancy Management is optimising every unit of energy demanded.
Developing dynamic software-driven heat maps and traffic flow through the campus gives accurate data from which to control both central and localised environmental building services systems. With reference to timetabling, we are moving towards a campus that is responsive to the needs of occupied periods and dynamic enough to scale down demand when unoccupied.
Using real-time data from the energy management platform allows us to target in a focused manner those areas of campus that require improvement in relation to energy demand. This allows us to set key performance indicators across the energy infrastructure to reduce year-on-year revenue costs associated with energy.
During the term of this strategy, AI will drive interventions from other automated systems, helping to realise the aspirations of effective and efficient campus operations. This approach frees up Estates Management to monitor the current strategy and inform continual improvement.
This strategy approaches all areas of delivery within the Estates function. It has the potential to profoundly impact on the entire University community. It is, therefore, essential that processes and procedures have the correct checks and balances in place to thread governance intervention through all our activities.
This applies to activities across all delivery areas noted above. There is a regime of regular progress reporting to University Court, Financial and Corporate Governance Committee, Sustainable Development Steering Group, Executive Group and the Senior Management Team.
Consistent with our Financial Strategy, our Estates investment plans will be fully aligned with the University's forward financial plans to ensure that they are developed within the context of the University's overall financial position – matching investment commitments with operational performance, maintaining financial resilience and delivering financial sustainability.
Along with the established application of rigorous financial modelling and affordability analysis, each Estates investment decision shall continue to take account of how proposed developments will be utilised, based on current space availability and robust, evidence-based projections of future requirements.
We operate within well-defined processes that map and record progress of each project through its lifecycle. Triggers for action are applied to scope, cost and timescale measures to ensure optimum outcomes on all Estates activities.
Transparency is essential in collaborative models, and the Estates team have developed a communications strategy which allows dashboard reporting and summary documentation for presentation. The communications strategy delivers easy-to-read, real-time information into all of our reporting levels.
Procurement within the remit of Estates is subject to rigorous governance rules and regulations as set out by Scottish Government. We operate within all the guidance of these regulations and use various Public Sector Procurement Frameworks to engage with our supply chain partners.
This strategy sets out the University's strategic principles for developing its estate. The detailed plans are contained in other documents including those listed below. These will change and evolve over time but will be measured against the strategic aspirations contained within this strategy.
The strategy outlines our aim to support flexible, high-quality environments for teaching, study, research, knowledge exchange and learning as well as modern social spaces for students and staff to relax and interact. We are aiming to deliver a cohesive and well thought through use of the estate to maximise the student and staff experience.
A wider ambition for our estate is to signal our place in the city of Dundee as we have a major part to play in the regeneration described in the Dundee City Strategic Investment Plan which was published in December 2022.
Enhance campus accessibility, safety and inclusivity: embed universal design and legislative requirements to create secure, welcoming and digitally connected spaces for all.
Deliver a sustainable and net-zero estate: achieve measurable progress toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 through infrastructure upgrades, energy-efficient systems, use of renewables and sustainable construction practices.
Create flexible, future-ready learning environments: redesign and repurpose campus spaces to support hybrid learning, collaboration and evolving pedagogical needs, informed by stakeholder feedback.
Integrate digital infrastructure to enable a smart, sustainable campus: embed intelligent systems and Artificial Intelligence to enhance energy efficiency, building performance and the overall campus experience.
Strengthen strategic partnerships and community impact: leverage the estate to support civic engagement, community wealth building and regeneration initiatives in partnership with Dundee City Council and other stakeholders.
This strategy supports the following linked strategic objectives in Strategy 2025–30:
Student Experience and Successful Outcomes
A Sustainable Future for Abertay
|
Estates Strategy goal |
Contribution to Strategy 2025–30 |
|---|---|
|
Goal 1: Support Student Success through Inclusive and Safe Campus Design |
Advance the University's commitment to student experience by creating accessible, secure and digitally connected spaces that enable all students to thrive. |
|
Goal 2: Accelerate the Transition to a Net-Zero, Climate-Resilient Campus |
Deliver infrastructure and operational improvements that significantly reduce carbon emissions and support climate adaptation. |
|
Goal 3: Enable Innovation in Learning through Flexible, Future-Ready Spaces |
Develop adaptable learning environments that support evolving pedagogies, hybrid delivery and collaborative engagement. |
|
Goal 4: Embed Smart Technologies to Enhance Campus Performance and Experience |
Integrate digital infrastructure and intelligent systems to improve energy efficiency, space utilisation and user experience. |
|
Goal 5: Maximise Civic and Economic Impact through Strategic Estate Development |
Use the estate as a platform for civic engagement, community wealth building and regeneration in partnership with local stakeholders. |
Please note: The University maintains a set of internal KPIs to measure delivery against this strategy. These indicators are monitored through established governance processes but are not published externally.
The Estates Strategy embraces the values of the University through its ambitious technology-led approach to design and delivery of co-created space across campus.
Inclusivity: developing strategies, for example in response to external accessibility audit.
If you would like this document in a different format (e.g. large print, braille), please contact policydocumentlibrary@abertay.ac.uk.
If you need any assistance to access or understand the document, please contact estates@abertay.ac.uk.
