Following the creation of Strathclyde University in 1964 from the
Royal College of Science and Technology, a masterplan was drawn up to expand the campus to the east of the original Royal College building. The architect
Robert Matthew was appointed oversee a masterplan for the area rezoned for educational use by
Glasgow Corporation east of Montrose Street, which was undergoing
slum clearance as part of the
Townhead Comprehensive Development Area (CDA). Part of the plan would be a dedicated building for the new Bioengineering Unit, which as a primarily research-led department would be kept separate from the other engineering departments based in the
James Weir Building. The university approached the Wolfson Foundation, who granted the £250,000 necessary to construct the building, which was designed by Morris Steedman Architects and opened in by Lady Wolfson in 1972. The building was granted Grade B listed status by
Historic Scotland on 4 September 2012 '''''' on account of it being "well-detailed and little-altered example of a post-war Modernist educational building by one of Scotland's most eminent architectural practices". In 2021, the university completed a £15m refurbishment of the building, conducted by Keir Construction which saw the exterior restored, refurbished laboratory and office spaces and a fire escape stairway built on the southern side to update the building's fire safety compliance. ==References==