Blog: Scottish Oceans Institute

2019

Architect: BMJ Architects

The Scottish Oceans Institute is a newly developed and refurbished research facility in St Andrews focussing on marine science. The £16.5 million development is to become a hub for maritime research for both Scotland and the rest of the globe- this building is a testament to Scotland’s commitment to our oceans and marine life.

The newly refurbished building hosts a multitude of collaborative spaces used for research and teaching alongside the all-important temperature-controlled environments for marine life to thrive and be analysed. This is all located under the roof which symbolises our ocean waves creating a protective blanket for life to subsist below. This idea is continued internally through the form of the light shades and roof lights suggesting bubbles, portholes, and perhaps even suckers found on an octopus. 

Externally the story continues with corten steel wrapping the external facade almost depicting the seaweed that is so native to this area. Corten steel was selected as the material choice due to its natural patina of rust, which over time will weather and change colours from an orangey bronze to a richer red/ brown- similar to the colours found along our coastal shores. The selection of corten steel was not just purely for aesthetics, it also serves as a device to provide shade for the building users internally.