The SCOPE: Readying university estates for the next generation

April 17, 2026

How can the higher education estate adapt, optimise, and deliver the student experience of tomorrow?

The SCOPE is a podcast addressing important issues that influence the sustainable future of real estate, infrastructure, the environment, and communities. 

Universities are under increasing pressure to deliver high-quality, future-ready estates. They must do this while managing constrained budgets, ageing buildings, evolving learning models, and rising student expectations. With most of the campuses of 2050 already built, the focus is shifting from expansion to adaptation, efficiency, and long-term resilience. 

In this episode, Trevor Payne, director of estates at the University of Oxford, joins our Bryan Murray to explore how higher education estates teams are responding to these challenges. Drawing on real-world examples, they discuss smarter use of space, the growing role of real-time data and smart campuses, and why flexibility is key to future planning. 

They also examine sustainability and climate resilience. And they look into the importance of delivering change while campuses remain live, operational environments. Their discussion gives practical insights.

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  • Bryan Murray

    As our director of structural engineering in the Oxford office, Bryan has wide range of experience within design, and is known for utilising many different structural materials for new build, refurbishment, and historic buildings.

    Contact Bryan