“The Sunday Post has run a story today which suggests that contingency planning when the Reid and Bourdon buildings were inaccessible within the Glasgow City Council security cordon around the Mackintosh Building was wrong.
“Both the Reid and Bourdon Buildings were initially inside the GCC security cordon and we did not know when/if they would be released.
“Both the Reid and Bourdon Buildings were initially inside the GCC security cordon and we did not know when/if they would be released.
:When faced with the very real prospect that over 1,000 students would have no access to their studios at the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year doing nothing was not an option.
“When it was clear that both the buildings would be released early in the new academic year the GSA was able to return all students to the campus. For the short time when the spaces were being cleaned and prepared students were involved in all-school projects.
“When it was clear that both the buildings would be released early in the new academic year the GSA was able to return all students to the campus. For the short time when the spaces were being cleaned and prepared students were involved in all-school projects.
“Like any responsible organisation the GSA has Business Interruption insurance which is there to cover this kind of scenario. No public money was spent on the contingency planning.”
THE GSA AND CHARLES OAKLEY BUILDING – THE FACTS
- Immediately after the fire in the Mackintosh Building in June 2018 Glasgow City Council established a security cordon round the site.
- Two of the GSA’s key teaching buildings – the Reid Building and the Bourdon Building – were inside the cordon meaning that studios and workshops for around 1,000 students were inaccessible.
- It was unclear how long the cordon would need to be in place and all the GSA’s efforts on the Mackintosh Building were focussed on making sure local residents and businesses could get back into their homes and premises as soon as possible.
- Doing nothing to prepare for the start of the new academic year was not an option
- Teaching and learning at The Glasgow School of Art is studio-based
- The GSA immediately launched a search for alternative spaces and assessed a range of different options all of which would require work to be done to create appropriate studios, workshops and other facilities
- Throughout this process we kept the Scottish Funding Council fully informed.
- Work commenced on the Charles Oakley Building as soon as possible so that studios and facilities would be ready for the start of the new academic year in late September 2018
- In early September 2018 the Reid Building was released from the security cordon, but the Bourdon, where the fire exits were affected by the ABC O2 which was still deemed unsafe by Glasgow City Council, remained inaccessible. Therefore, work continued on the alternative accommodation for 500 architecture students.
- In mid-October 2018 the Bourdon was released from the safety cordon so students were able to return to their studios on campus closer to the Library and other facilities including the student union.
- Furniture, IT equipment etc purchased for the contingency plans is now being used across the campus..
- As a responsible organisation The Glasgow School of Art has Business Interruption Insurance in place to cover situations such as this.
- No public money was spent on the preparation work.
THE FULL QUOTE PROVIDED TO THE SUNDAY POST
A spokesperson for The Glasgow School of Art said:
“We had an absolute duty to make sure that there would be appropriate studio and workshop facilities for our students when they returned for the new academic year in autumn 2018.
After the fire it was not known how long the Bourdon and Reid Buildings would be inaccessible inside the Glasgow City Council security cordon. We had to look for alternatives for over 1,000 students so we considered a wide range of possible properties. Doing nothing was not an option.
Work began as soon as possible on the Charles Oakley Building to make sure that alternative studios and other facilities would be available if needed.
Throughout this process we kept the Scottish Funding Council fully informed.
The security cordon was lifted by Glasgow City Council in mid-October 2018 so all students could return to their existing studio spaces on the campus where they were also closer to other facilities such as the library and student union.
Like any responsible organisation The Glasgow School of Art has Business Interruption Insurance to cover situations such as this. No public money was spent on the necessary preparation works in the Charles Oakley Building.”