University takes possession of £65m SEE Building in time for new academic year
The £65m new University of Salford Science, Engineering and Environmental Building (SEE Building) will welcome students and academics for the new academic year after Morgan Sindall Construction celebrated completion of the project.
The SEE Building forms part of the Salford Crescent and University District’s wider masterplan.
Four storeys high, the 15,550 sq m facility serves as an exemplar of the university’s commitment to its industry collaboration strategy, which is designed to facilitate students, academics and industry partners working together on cutting edge industry-facing projects.
Bringing together world leading research and future facing teaching and learning, the SEE Building will be occupied by a series of research and teaching laboratories including physics, electrical, electronics, composite and chemical vapour deposition..
The project, procured through the North West Construction Hub framework, also features a wind tunnel, previously located at Salford Innovation Research Centre (SIRC) and boasts high-spec laser laboratories.
The new build incorporates high sustainability credentials, a key element of the university’s pledge to reduce the environmental impact of the wider masterplan. While fully electrically powered, the build is supported by 154 roof-mounted photovoltaic panels which provide renewable energy.
The Salford Crescent and University District’s wider masterplan includes opportunities to develop one million square feet of educational floor space, six million square feet of commercial space targeted at industrial growth sectors, two million square feet of public realms, in addition to green landscaped routes and cycle ways, and 2,500 new homes and apartments.
Morgan Sindall Construction has worked on the scheme alongside project manager Faithful + Gould, architect Sheppard Robson and engineers Arup.
The university and Morgan Sindall Construction have maintained a close working relationship, underpinned by their partnership in 2018 on a programme focused on enhancing the employability credentials of undergraduates which looks to combine the latest academic understanding of industry trends and developments with real world experience and learning.
The programme has been delivered through regular site visits, workshops and providing expert advice on project proposals for design, planning, costing and development to multi-disciplinary student teams in the surroundings of the specially built Knowledge Quad, a multi-purpose training and learning facility based on site during the build programme.
Elsewhere on the campus, Morgan Sindall Construction is also building the university’s North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC).
Shaun Jones, Greater Manchester area director for Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “The building itself will unlock potential for future generations, while the construction of it has simultaneously allowed for real economic benefits in the surrounding area.
“Our close relationship with the university has enabled local students to visit our sites and absorb knowledge from our team. Our two organisations have a shared commitment to creating a future-fit workforce, using the tools at our disposal to help the next generation develop lasting and rewarding careers.”
He added: “We’re excited to be handing over the new building on schedule, providing a sustainable new home for the university’s engineering, environment and scientific researchers and students.”
Jason Challender, director of estates and facilities at The University of Salford, said: “We are proud to open the new SEE Building for our students and staff. It is an outstanding new-build which is 100% electric powered and underpinned by sustainable, intelligent design. Because the team tailored each level of the building to accommodate different uses, we also have an extremely flexible space that will serve the university for years to come.”
Alex Solk, partner at Sheppard Robson, said: “It’s been thrilling to see this building take shape. Our design houses an extraordinary range of spaces for invention, weaving together specialist facilities alongside areas for agile working. The building has been designed to express the school’s industrious and explorative spirit, with the flexible, all-electric building delivering on the sustainability targets that underpinned the design from the start.”
