World Class Buildings

Oxford is famous for its historic buildings, which attract millions of tourists every year, and perhaps less well known for the cutting-edge design of our most recent buildings. Conservation and excellence in design are central to our work, in order to preserve and develop the University’s estate and ensure that we provide world-leading teaching and research facilities for our staff and students. 

We own and manage 67 listed buildings, out of a portfolio of around 235 buildings used for teaching, research and administration. We also own 140 commercial properties including offices and land. Everything we do is guided by the need to reduce our environmental impact and make best use of space in a very compact city where opportunities to expand are limited.

The oldest building that we own and manage is the 15th century Duke Humfrey’s Library (the oldest part of the Bodleian Library), which contrasts with one of the most recent – the Blavatnik School of Government.

This section of our website contains more information about our listed buildings, conservation work, and our award winning modern buildings. There is also a timeline illustrating the history, size and variety of our estate.

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