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National Composites Centre wins design award

Members of the NCC team with their award

26 May 2015

The University’s National Composites Centre (NCC) has won a prestigious award for innovative design.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards South West celebrate inspirational initiatives in the land, property and construction sectors; the 2015 competition saw 37 of the South West’s most impressive property schemes vying for top honours.

The ‘Design through Innovation’ award went to the second phase of the NCC’s development, which added 9,500 square metres of workshop, office and teaching space to the University-run, BIS-funded composites facility at the Bristol and Bath Science Park.

The Centre supports collaboration between industry, academia, and government and brings together Bristol’s PhD and NCC study programmes with SME support facilities including laboratories, workshops, and lecture and seminar spaces. Phase Two’s additions include a high-volume, automated production cell (enabling mass production of lightweight, high-performing components aiding the reduction of carbon emissions in many sectors) and a large demonstrator and test area for industry.

The judges praised ‘the innovative design and creativity of this Phase Two building and facilities across a wide range of criteria which has resulted in a very successful outcome’.

Patrick Finch, Director of Estates at the University, said: ‘The Estates Office and its external team worked hard to ensure that the design and execution of the National Composites Centre was as innovative as the cutting-edge activities that it accommodates. Great credit should go to our design team led by Stride Treglown and to our main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine for helping us achieve this prestigious RICS Award.’

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