Morgan Sindall completes Exeter Uni biosciences building

Leading construction and infrastructure company Morgan Sindall has completed work on a £1.1 million project to transform a biosciences building at the University of Exeter.

The four-phase project saw Morgan Sindall refurbish and modernise areas of the Hatherly Laboratory Building on the university’s Streatham Campus to update, improve and expand teaching space for the College of Life and Environmental Sciences.

Faithful+Gould delivered the contract administration and multi-disciplinary design services for the nine month project, which saw Morgan Sindall create new innovative learning spaces for students. The new laboratory will house the latest technology needed for simulation and modelling experiments.

The Morgan Sindall project team also constructed a new modular building in the courtyard behind the Hatherly Building to create space for group working. The new building has been fitted with a sedum roof to create a green space.

The firm also renovated the basement and a main corridor of the existing four-storey building and upgraded the mechanical and electrical provisions for all of the refurbished areas.

Works were funded through a successful Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teaching capital fund bid from the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Andy Coleman, Senior Building Surveyor at the University of Exeter, said: “This was a very complicated project carried out in the middle of busy student teaching spaces, academic research laboratories and the offices of academics and staff. We are grateful that the contractors worked hard to minimise the disruption so our world-leading research and teaching could continue uninterrupted.

“Everybody is delighted with the amazing transformation to the building and the quality of the work.”

As part of further renovation works across the university this summer, Morgan Sindall is installing a new ventilation system and emergency lighting installation at the Northcott Theatre, which is on Queen’s Drive on the Streatham Campus.

The firm is also undertaking significant refurbishment works at St Luke’s Campus on Heavitree Road, including replacing the roof and windows of the student study centre at Giraffe House, and a project to transform an existing music room into a science laboratory, all of which amount to a further £1.2m worth of work that needs to be completed by September 2016.

Nigel Whelan, area manager at Morgan Sindall, said: “We’re delighted to have completed a series of significant renovation works at the historic Hatherly Building. The building provides a first class scientific learning environment for students at the College of Life and Environmental Sciences and we’re so pleased that the refurbishment works will enhance their learning experience even further.

Our team is well versed in delivering high-quality education schemes across the country and we are delighted to be adding this ambitious and forward-thinking scheme to that roster of projects.

We’re looking forward to continuing our successful relationship with the University of Exeter, as we continue to deliver a number of significant refurbishment schemes across the university.”