Re-inventing traditional libraries and learning spaces, the Foundation helps students, academic leaders and local communities connect, collaborate, learn and excel.
Laidlaw Library
University of Leeds
Opened in 2015, the Laidlaw Library is a dedicated undergraduate space boasting state of the art facilities. Winner of both regional and national RIBA awards for architectural excellence, the building offers students a contemporary study environment and an inspiring place to work. Hugely popular with students, since its opening visits to the University libraries have increased by over 45% to c.2.7m visits annually – and students have scored Leeds’ libraries top in the Russell Group in the National Student Survey for three years.
The Library has over 1,000 study spaces, including silent study desks, group rooms, and a range of social learning spaces. At the heart of the building is the Skills Zone, where students can access individual appointments with learning advisors, or attend workshops and drop-in sessions to improve their academic skills. The Library also features a ‘community classroom’, which welcomes diverse school and community groups as part of the University’s educational outreach activities.
Laidlaw Music Centre
University of St. Andrews
The new Laidlaw Music Centre provides a custom-built music centre in the heart of the University of St. Andrews, offering a full range of soundproofed, acoustically-appropriate practice, rehearsal, teaching, recording and performance spaces everyone in the St. Andrews’ musical community can use. It employs the latest technologies, such as an automated floor that consists of 86 electronically controlled sections which allows it to configure any form of staging and seating required for different sized ensembles.
The new building occupies a site to the south west of the Bute building and to the east of St Regulus Hall, linking through to St Mary’s Quadrangle and onto South Street. Situated close to the Byre Theatre, the two buildings create a vibrant, cultural quarter in the town.
Laidlaw Teaching and Leadership Centre
Sedgefield Community College
The recently-opened Laidlaw Teaching and Leadership Centre at Sedgefield Community College, an Outstanding school within the Laidlaw Schools Trust, serves as a learning hub for PGCE teacher trainees, and provides additional classroom space for Sedgefield pupils.
This £3.2 million state-of-the-art building is a bespoke centre for teacher trainees where they can learn and develop, ensuring a pipeline of talented newly-qualified teachers for the Trust. By investing in the ongoing career development of teachers and leaders within the Trust, we can be confident that our teaching and learning is always of the highest standard and that our staff feel inspired, motivated and valued.
