Vision
The University’s buildings and estate are not only necessary for our academic work, but also contribute to Oxford’s reputation as a city of learning, heritage and culture. They form a vital part of the rich architecture of the city and provide a beautiful environment for visitors and Oxford residents, as well as for students and staff of the University.
The University’s estate, comprising buildings for research, teaching, learning, and administration, has been growing at around 5% per annum for the last 15 years. Today there are around 260 buildings across 13 sites in and around Oxford.
Our aim is to provide our staff and students with state-of-the-art facilities within an inspiring and historic setting, to improve opportunities for interdisciplinary working, and to do all of this while minimising our environmental impact.
We invest in the estate where this enables new or improved ways of working and includes the decommissioning and transformation of inappropriate spaces. How we manage and develop the estate is underpinned by our environmental policies. To support this investment, we have on average of 80 building and refurbishment projects ongoing at any one time, with an annual expenditure in excess of £100m, met through a combination of University funds, Government grants and initiatives, and donations.