Geography department moves to Rutherford Building

17 Jul 2026

On Wednesday 15 July Geography academics, research fellows and PhD students moved into the newly-renovated Rutherford Building.

Following a multi-year renovation and refurbishment, colleagues from our Geography department have moved into the historic Rutherford Building. 

The Grade II listed site, which was originally the University's Physics Laboratory, was in the early 1900s the workplace of Nobel prizewinner Ernest Rutherford, who has been described as "the father of nuclear physics". It later housed the Psychology Department and was then used for administrative staff. 

The move comes following a complete refurbishment of the Rutherford Building. Contractors carried out comprehensive surveys and remedial work to ensure the building is free from any danger from the historical experiments that took place there. Working within the requirements needed for sympathetic refurbishment of listed buildings, the building has been fully updated to create a workspace fit for the brightest minds of the 21st century.

Our Geography team, now ranked in the World’s top ten, will now have their home in this historic space. Geography academics, research fellows and PhD students are all now based in the Rutherford, whilst the Geography labs and technical staff remain in the Arthur Lewis Building. 

Colleagues from across the School of Environment, Education and Development are invited to come and check out the newly reopened building.