The Manufacturing and Materials Research and Development Centre is located at ARU Peterborough, a hub for innovation and collaboration. The multi million pound centre was designed by Moses Cameron Williams, (MCW) an architectural firm known for their sustainable designs and use of mass timber for the structural frame.

Construction of ARU Peterborough’s new £32 million Lab building, incorporates a Living Lab, designed to be used by the community and university students. The lab is adjacent to the existing University House building on Bishop’s Road in the city, and supports students and apprentices studying in science, technology, engineering and maths fields.

The 2,800 m² of flexible research space spread over three floors include a microbiology lab, tissue culture lab, a range of engineering workshops and other high-quality teaching spaces. It also connects with local libraries, museums and arts venues to create a cultural hub for the city and region.

The centre is a joint venture between the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority and Peterborough-based business Photocentric. It supports both established and start-up companies in developing new technologies related to advanced manufacturing, including 3D printing, sustainable plastics, and battery innovation.

Our UK mass timber specialists B&K Structures designed, supplied and installed the mass timber kit of parts for the entire project including visual CLT floor and roof decks, CLT staircases and an integrated CLT lift core. This collaboration ensured the highest quality materials and construction practices were employed. Stora Enso prefabricated the Sylva™ CLT Floors, Roofs, Stairs, and Walls. This off-site construction method streamlined the building process, ensuring precision and reducing on-site waste.

Sustainability

The Sylva kit generated 37 tonnes of greenhouse gases (CO₂e) to manufacture. Compared to the  533 tonnes of carbon dioxide that the trees removed while they were growing and will store in the building, this is a small fraction. Choosing Sylva CLT elements instead of non-renewables avoided 800 tonnes of greenhouse gases. (Sources: EPD | NTM | SLU)

The building is It is targeted to be certified ‘Excellent’ by BREEAM, the world-recognised standard used to measure the sustainability of buildings.

Learn more about the advantages with mass timber download whitepaper