Hitting the heights with new building project
Construction of the new Sir William Henry Bragg Building celebrated a milestone this week as the development reached its tallest point.
University colleagues were joined by representatives from the contractors for a special topping out ceremony for the new Sir William Henry Bragg Building
To mark the occasion, a special ‘topping out’ ceremony took place. University colleagues were joined by representatives from main contractor, BAM Construction, and architect design team ADP, BAM Design, Arcadis, Gardiner & Theobald, ARUP and Silcock Leedham.
Colleagues watched as the building’s plant room was lifted onto the roof, forming the highest point of the new building. The plant for this technologically advanced facility is complex, and BAM has assembled the room off-site in a factory environment, with the support of Leeds-based company Waites Mechanical Services, saving time and cost on the project.
Scheduled to open its doors to students in 2021, the new building represents a significant investment in a new integrated campus for Engineering and Physical Sciences. The facility will include first-class laboratory and specialised teaching spaces, enabling cutting-edge research and outstanding student experience, whilst enhancing our research power and strengthening collaboration with industry.
Technologically advanced plant room facilities are lifted into place by a crane
Steve Gilley, Director of Estates and Facilities, said: “I’d like to thank all of our partners who have contributed to this flagship project to date.
“It’s important to mark key milestones, and recognise the importance of the expertise from extended project teams, to ensure the successful construction of this new facility.”
John Phillips, of BAM Construction, said: “Topping out is a centuries old tradition, and this year BAM is 150 years old, while the University’s origins date back to a similar time, to 1874.
“Today, we are both known for being leaders in modern technology. The University is looking to the future and BAM is delighted to be helping it to create facilities for the next generations of students and academics.”
Joe Morgan, Director of ADP, added: “This project was conceived in 2015 as a critical component of the strategic masterplan, to create a collaborative hub for computing and physical sciences.
“The building champions the need to address tomorrow’s challenges whilst minimising its impact on the environment, so it is appropriate that one of the components designed to make this building so highly energy efficient should be lowered into place as part of the ‘topping out’ celebration.”
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