Students benefit from £7.5m H H Donnelly House upgrade

The £7.5m programme was fully funded by a loan from the Scottish Funding Council’s Route to Net Zero Carbon initiative, and included the replacement of the building’s roof, windows, kitchens and bathrooms to enhance its sustainability.

Further steps to improve energy efficiency, including cavity wall insulation and solar panels, have also been taken – alongside new lighting and fire alarm systems.

Internal areas – including each one of H H Donnelly House’s 126 bedrooms and all the bathrooms – have been refreshed, with new flooring, decoration, fixtures and furniture.

The exterior of the building has also been enhanced with external cladding renewed and the blockwork cleaned.

Work at H H Donnelly has been part of the University’s commitment to improving its student accommodation portfolio and follows the £6.25 million renovation of Muirhead House – which was completed earlier this year.

Professor Leigh Sparks, University of Stirling and Chair of the Project Board said: "Providing a variety of high-quality, affordable and sustainable accommodation for our students is a top priority at the University of Stirling. The extensive refurbishment of H H Donnelly House ensures that our students will be able to enjoy freshly enhanced facilities, which are designed to be environmentally sustainable and support our net zero aims.”

Justine Pédussel, University of Stirling Students' Union President, added: “It has been great to work on the project board for H H Donnelly. The refurbishment demonstrates the University's commitment to investing in comfortable, environmentally friendly student accommodation and student experience.

“I'm especially glad that students joining us or returning this year will benefit from these improvements.”