Although I would prefer to see this part of the city increase its urban density, its clear to see the British public are still reticent on urban living- so development of the urban integrity with public buildings is better than nought.

Please tell me that isn't white render.

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with white render. When I think of white render I imagine van der rohe's Weissenhof residential complex in Stuttgart, Alvar Aalto or De Stijl- the dutch, germans and scandinavians use it all the time- why not us?

Er....our weather !

Yeah cause' our weather is so different from Norway or Denmark- come on, get a grip. This is reflex prejudice rather than rational judgement. Here in the 21st C we have technology called 'paint'- you may have heard of it?
I was in Stuttgart recently and the Weissenhof buildings looked great despite its almost centenarian age span; as did Le Corbusiers design at the same 1927 exposition.
Another white rendered house is the Villa Mairea ( 1938-39) in Noormarkku, Finland, by Alavar Aalto- looks like it was built yesterday.
I could go on but I won't.

wonky, do you have any examples from Scotland?

what about that nice white redered park lane building at Cowcaddens opposite the fire station. the lovelly white render is a particularly nice shade of grey with a water stain streakes feature. not a million miles away from the GCU either. still im sure it will look great untill the photographer has been.

Wonky clearly you have never worked in practice or with some of the wonderful D&B Contractors currently building amongst us? These buildings you mention are classics and as a result are well cared for by their trustees. I could guarantee that this wonderful technology called ‘paint’ you speak of would require large amounts of maintenance and no client would be willing to sign up to such an approach on a large building such as a University. I also find your comments in relation to the Urban density and people living in city centre locations a little misguided-can you actually see the University moving to an out of town location all based around the premise that they need to re-educate the British Public about urban living? All wonderful utopian ideas best left in the classroom, meanwhile in the real world………

Instead of these ridiculous ‘white wash’ negative comments, perhaps you should celebrate the fact that the University is vastly improving its main façade to one of the major transport hubs/gateways into the city.

There are many buildings in Glasgow never mind Scotland I can think of, just from the top of my head...Homes for the future at Glasgow Green there are examples from Ushida Findlay, Rick Mather and a particularly striking white rendered cable on Lanark Street by McKeown Alexander- among others. Graham Sq up at Gallowgate by Richard Murphy? Elder & Cannon's Brabloch Park development or the Merchant city Tower in Candleriggs by RMJM...or a blast from the past: The Beresford art deco beauty in sauchiehall street?

All clients/property owners/ tenants or (whatever you want to call a person who is responsible for a building) should be held accountable for the maintenance of that building- the council must do more to enforce accountability. Unfortunately GCC are one of the worst culprits for dereliction of duty toward the build fabric of the city.
All buildings should be required MOT/health checks every ten years or so, and a basic requirement of that should be a paint job at the very least. It doesn't cost a lot of money. The whole university is not made out of white render for Gods sake.
Never once did I mention anything about the university moving. Did you read what I said? Urban living is not a utopian idea: for most of the world this is concrete reality. Britain and America are largely exceptions to the rule. This is a prime city centre area that should be densely populated but a combination of inter-generational bad town planning, car orientated Americana social engineering, rampant suburbanism, lack of private investment and the credit crunch make this unfeasible at present.
I certainly won't celebrate the expansion of the university in this area- but its something positive I suppose ( just not positive enough).
Any other major European city with Tradeston, Cowcaddens, Townhead, Broomielaw, Gallowgate on the fringes of their historic central core would be developing like crazy and increasing population density- but in the UK car driven lunacy we cannot.
You cynical 'tone' doesn't make you sound any more sensible than anyone else nor does the tired cliched pessimism make you come across as rational- you just sound like a jaded skeptic too lacking in imagination or vision to think of alternatives to the present malaise.
Personally I embrace my misguided free wheeling ways with gusto... Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light...put some fire in yer belly man and embrace the possible...anonymous skulker all faint hearted and craven pressed as a lily between yellow pages...

Let me come down from my high horse and say that white render has been overused. But to oppose something just because its white render is just ignorant. Its like saying all use of concrete is bad; glasspanelling/cladding or even terracotta tiles are all bad- within balance each has its place. Concrete bad. White render good. White good. Black bad- this is cave man thinking.
This area has various gap sites that could have been used for residential use in order to redefine the urban edge- the imposition/expansion of the urban grid in this area has to be a main priority in the future.
The junction at W/Nile-Cowcaddens-Port Dundas Rd comes to mind in terms of its residential potential as does West Hanover/Dobbies Loan.