BAM confirmed for £65m Leeds Uni science complex

Aaron Morby 6 years ago

The University of Leeds has named BAM Construction to deliver its £65m Sir William Henry Bragg Building project.

Old Mining building will be overhauled and connected to a new 6-storey office and laboratory complex via a full height atrium

The new home for the schools of Computing and Physics & Astronomy, represents the University’s largest ever single project investment.

BAM is now starting works with the aim of completing the integrated campus for engineering and physical sciences at Woodhouse Lane in summer 2020.

Designed by Manchester architect ADP, the project consists of a new 6-storey building, a full height connecting atrium and refurbishment of the Grade II listed Old Mining Building with an additional roof top extension.

The new build part of the scheme will be predominantly concrete frame with an upper steel frame and will link directly to the university’s existing engineering and chemistry facilities.

The Manchester office of Arcadis is on board as project manager. Cost management is provided by Gardiner & Theobald, civil and structural Engineering by Curtins and Arup is the building services engineer for the project which is expected to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating once finished.

The new building will also incorporate the Bragg Centre for Materials Research, bringing together researchers from across the university campus to create an environment generating ground-breaking, interdisciplinary, research and to deliver an accelerated impact of research to society.

Researchers will push the boundaries of bio-nano, computing and engineering sciences on the new building

The building and research centre are named after Sir William Henry Bragg, a former professor of physics at Leeds who won the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics with his son, Sir William Lawrence Bragg, for the development of X-ray crystallography.

Their work revolutionised science, by allowing researchers to examine the atomic structure of materials in detail for the first time including leading to the characterisation of the DNA double helix structure.

Jason Pink, BAM Construction construction director, said: “We are currently working through the detailed design with the University and are looking forward to working collaboratively with the University to deliver this fantastic facility during the Summer of 2020.”