Dec 18 2015
CH2M, in partnership with Jestico + Whiles, has been selected to provide architectural design for the University of Cambridge’s new Cavendish physics laboratory. CH2M will be responsible for the internal laboratory design while Jestico + Whiles will design the new laboratory structure.
Following £75 million of UK Government investment, the new laboratory on the University's West Cambridge site will provide a new home for the university's physics research. The new Cavendish laboratory will house a number of physics research groups, laboratories, office space, reception area, teaching spaces, a library, exhibition areas, a canteen and other functions.
Beverley Weston, Cambridge University's Head of Estate Projects, said: "We are delighted to be working with this highly experienced and creative team to deliver one of the most prestigious and exciting projects undertaken by the university."
The Cavendish Laboratory has an illustrious history tracing back to its 1874 opening under the direction of James Clerk Maxwell, the University's first Cavendish Professor of Experimental Physics. Such luminaries as Isaac Newton, Thomas Young and George Gabriel Stokes carried out their historic experiments at this site. The prestigious lab has trained 29 Nobel laureates, and the old laboratory spawned such physics milestones as the splitting of atoms, discovery of sub-atomic particles, and decoding of DNA.
This is the latest in a series of collaborations between CH2M and Jestico + Whiles. These include design of the University of Southampton’s Mountbatten research complex, the University of Manchester National Graphene Institute, and the Australia Institute of Nanoscience at the University of Sydney.
Commenting on the project win, Tim Meier, Vice President and Director of Advanced Facilities at CH2M, said: “This latest win reinforces CH2M’s growing recognition in architectural design for science and technology buildings. This is a specialized type of work requiring not just architectural excellence, but also the technical excellence needed to create a new generation of technology research facilities that are sustainable, affordable, and flexible.”