We are the first research hub to move into the University’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.

Our building has historic and sociotechnical significance as the headquarters of the Bristol Gas Company, the industry that brought light to the streets of Bristol from 1821 and changed the way citizens lived and worked.

You can discover more about the history of our building in our ‘History of the Sheds’ project and enjoy artwork commissioned to help mark our place in the community.

Our short film explains the renovation journey and reveals our new spaces.

 

Net Zero Campus Testbed

We were granted £2.5million by the  UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) in May 2022 as one of nine research centres in the country to apply and test Net Zero applications in our infrastructure and operations. You can read about the grant award and Net Zero facilities.

Renovation facts

• Contractors renovated 2,478 sq mtrs of stone wall  and revealed and refurbished 26 windows.
• All waste materials were reused with only general waste and contaminated materials leaving site. This also saved costs and reduced vehicle movements.
• 25 tonnes of cobblestones were removed for re-use across Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.
• 524 people worked on the site at various points through the one year project
• Specialist experts on site have included ecologists (for bats) and archeologists (Wessex Archeology) for an historic building recording.
• Archeologists found cobbled flooring, foundations of the gas retorts (for making gas) and a system of large underground brick flues, which would have channelled smoke from the gas retorts to the big chimney at the end of the coal store.
• 44km of CAT6A data cable (carries 10 gigabytes) and 12km of electrical wiring was fitted.