The University of Oxford has opened the Life and Mind building, a major development that will house the Departments of Biology and Experimental Psychology, as well as the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research. The building, designed by NBBJ and funded by Legal & General (L&G), is part of the Oxford University Development (OUD) partnership, a £4 billion joint venture between the University and L&G. This partnership aims to deliver academic and research facilities, housing, and related infrastructure.
The new facility, which opened at the start of the academic year, provides over 269,000 square feet of space for teaching, research, innovation, and public engagement. It will accommodate more than 1,400 scientists, academics, researchers, support staff, and postgraduate students, and serve as the main teaching location for around 1,000 undergraduate students with new lecture halls and teaching spaces.
The building includes a range of research facilities such as sleep labs, a virtual reality and motor lab, experimental classrooms, multisensory labs, rooftop glasshouses, and licensed facilities for advanced plant science. It also houses controlled-environment laboratories and a dedicated space for the University’s botanical collections, which contain about one million specimens.
Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, commented on the opening: "The opening of this inspiring building is a proud moment in our partnership with Legal & General, and a wonderful milestone for Oxford. As we welcome a new academic year, I’m delighted to see its doors open to our students, researchers, and academics. The Life and Mind building isn’t just a world-class facility – it’s a place designed to bring people together.
By uniting biologists and experimental psychologists under one roof, it will spark fresh ideas, foster collaboration, and help us tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our world."
The facility is expected to encourage interdisciplinary projects that explore the links between natural and artificial intelligence. Researchers will combine expertise in animal behaviour, ecology, evolution, brain science, cognition, and AI to study how humans, animals, and plants think and adapt. The goal is to better understand natural intelligence and use these insights to develop more adaptable artificial intelligence systems.
In addition to its research in life sciences and psychology, the building will host the Oxford Centre for Emerging Minds Research. This centre aims to improve mental health outcomes for children, young people, and families and is supported by a £27 million gift from The Paul Foundation.
Gareth Mee, Chief Investment Officer of Institutional Retirement at L&G, said: "L&G is committed to putting annuity-backed capital behind some of the UK’s most ambitious and impactful projects. The Life and Mind Building is an exemplar - enabling world-class infrastructure that will attract and retain top academic talent and supports the UK’s innovation industries. This is capital with a purpose - driving economic growth, creating jobs and improving local communities, while generating sustainable returns that meet our pension commitments."
Anna Strongman, CEO of Oxford University Development, added: "The Life and Mind Building is a fantastic achievement for all involved and will be a great addition to the university’s teaching and research facilities as well as the wider Oxford ecosystem. The Life and Mind Building is one of the first projects to be completed as part of the OUD portfolio, demonstrating the power of our innovative partnership to support the future of the University and the City."