University’s first student flats complex on Western campus to house 460 students
Anderson College, currently home to the Glasgow International College, could be demolished to make way for a new student accommodation complex, pending approval of recently submitted plans. The proposed development, located at the corner of Dumbarton Road and Church Street, would include 460 student bedrooms, with a 70/30 split between cluster flats and studio apartments.
If approved, this project would mark the fourth major building on the University of Glasgow’s Western campus, following the Advanced Research Centre (ARC) in 2022, the School of Health & Wellbeing in 2023, and the Adam Smith Business School in 2024. The university owns additional plots of land on the Western campus, though specific development plans remain unconfirmed.
This new proposal is likely part of the university’s efforts to tackle Glasgow’s ongoing student housing crisis. A report co-authored by the University of Glasgow and published in September 2024 highlighted a shortfall of 6,093 student bedspaces across the city. Despite this, an investigation by The Glasgow Guardian revealed that as of October 12, 2023, the occupancy rate for university-owned student housing stood at just 85.35%.
The demolition of Anderson College would mark the end of a historic chapter for the building, which first opened its doors in 1889. It was designed by James Sellars, the architect behind Kelvingrove Park’s Stewart Memorial Fountain. Anderson College became part of the University of Glasgow in 1947 and underwent a significant refurbishment in the 1990s.
The project will be carried out by Stallan-Brand, an architectural firm responsible for the St. Andrews Building, completed in 2003. According to the proposal, the new complex will provide “easy access to academic and extracurricular facilities, reducing commuting time and expense. This will enhance students’ work-study-life balance, improve affordability, and foster a stronger on-campus community.”
