The Boyd Orr Building
All primary academic sessions, panel discussions, and oral presentations will be hosted within the Boyd Orr Building, located in the heart of the University of Glasgow’s Gilmorehill Campus.
Boyd Orr Building
120 University Avenue
Glasgow G12 8QQ
Completed in 1972 to accommodate a rapid expansion of the university’s science faculties, this 11-floor brutalist landmark features large-capacity lecture theatres, modern seminar spaces, and accessible facilities.
There is step-free access to Level 2 (the main entrance foyer and lift area) is available via a gradual slope from Lilybank Square. Internally, modern lifts service all 11 floors, ensuring full access to all presentation rooms and amenities for delegates.
Who was John Boyd Orr?
The building’s namesake, Lord John Boyd Orr (1880–1971), was a decorated Scottish military veteran and alumnus of the University of Glasgow. Serving as a medical officer in the trenches of the First World War, his extraordinary courage under fire at the Somme and Passchendaele earned him both the Military Cross (MC) and the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).
Driven by the horrors of war and the malnutrition he witnessed on the front lines, Boyd Orr dedicated his life to scientific research into human nutrition. He believed that eliminating poverty and hunger was the key to removing the root causes of global warfare. His lifelong humanitarian crusade culminated in him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949.