Grant Institute (Geology), University Of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh

The Grant Institute (Geology) at the University of Edinburgh, designed by Lorimer and Matthew and built between 1930 and 1931, is a two-storey, symmetrical, U-shaped teaching building featuring 15 bays. It is constructed from droved sandstone ashlar and includes a base course, eaves course, cornice, and a two-storey giant order. The north elevation, which serves as the entrance, has a prominent three-bay centerpiece with steps leading up to an architraved doorway. This doorway features a two-leaf, four-panel timber door with bronze fittings, flanked by narrow architraved single windows that have carved windowheads. Above the doorway is a relief carving of a seated figure, and the wall above it is curvilinear. The second floor of the central bay is recessed, creating a balcony with an architraved window, topped by a curvilinear gable that has a pierced ogival quatrefoil inscribed with 'GEOLOGY 1931', which rises above the roofline.

The windows on the first and second floors of the north, east, and west elevations are separated by synthetic stone aprons, which divide the floor levels and are flanked by giant pilasters. The building predominantly features eight-pane steel-framed windows. The roof is grey slated and piended, with swept eaves, and includes a skylight to the left of the curvilinear gable above the entrance, along with chimney stacks and cans at the rear. The building also has cast-iron rainwater goods.

The interior, as observed in 2015, includes a main reception hall with an open-well staircase located to the south. This staircase features synthetic stone steps and a wrought iron balustrade and handrail, which includes twisted uprights and stylised organic motifs at intervals.