Al Qasimi Building

CGI artist impression of what the building may look like

The Al Qasimi Building will be a new focal point for Exeter’s student community.  It will provide an inclusive space for all students to gather, interact and learn in a setting that celebrates diversity, interconnectivity, and sustainability. 

The new spaces will enhance Exeter’s international reputation in Area Studies and in particular its work in culture, languages and heritage. Uniquely, the facilities will incorporate academics and students from across Exeter’s three faculties, with a particular research focus on the Middle East region and the Global South.  

As part of the University’s Strategy 2030, the University has identified the opportunity to further develop the academic teaching and reassure facilities already being offered within the IAIS building.  ‘We will work with partners, students, and alumni across our campuses, our region, and the world in our pursuit of new knowledge, opportunities, and impact’.

The adjacent site to the current IAIS building, within the Jubilee Gardens, has been identified as the most suitable area for the new building. Inside the building, we are proposing to have a combination of formal and informal teaching spaces including large teaching lecture theatres and open-plan teaching areas. It is expected to also have research space and collaborative zones, as well as a café with an outside terrace.

The building will provide panoramic views West across the campus to the Whitcombe Way Valley Park and Exwick Woods beyond and will be designed to a low carbon construction standard and achieve Passivhaus certification requirements. We will also look to enhance pedestrian routes through the area from the West side of campus to central areas.

We are currently in the design phase of the project, with construction expected to start in the autumn of 2025 and complete in 2027, subject to change.

As with all University estate projects, mitigation measures are put in place to minimise dust and noise from a construction site where possible. We work with contractors that are part of the Considerate Constructors scheme, to ensure they have high standards in managing risks, protecting the environment and positive relationships with the local community. This project  will be registered with the Considerate Constructors scheme and monitored in accordance with the scheme's code of considerate practice.