Premier Inn, Milton Keynes

1,200SQM OF SOTECH’S OPTIMA FC SYSTEM IN 2MM CORTEN A HAS BEEN USED IN THE COMPLETION OF A BRAND-NEW PURPOSE-BUILT CENTRE FOR SPECIALIST RESEARCH IN DIGITAL RAILWAY ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM.

Clad in the distinguished steel Corten material, which weathers over a period of 6-36 months, the material was selected as a direct nod to the rail industry, with the Corten providing the same visual impact as railway lines and track signalling.

Designed by Associated Architects, the Corten material has fully weathered, linking perfectly to the Engineering disciplines the University will deliver.

The building represents the first phase of construction work for a £46.5m School of Engineering development at the University of Birmingham. Procured through the Constructing West Midlands framework, the 3,000m2 facility offers a variety of contemporary and flexible design and research spaces that act as an incubator for innovation, strengthening teaching and building research partnerships.

Open offices, meeting rooms, seminar rooms and event spaces will enable industry partners to come and work directly with University experts and researchers.

TESTIMONIALS

Jamie Smith, Estimator at Sotech said: “The façade was expertly installed by Alucraft Ltd with the finish quality testament to the hard work put in to complete this project”.

Warren Jukes, director at Associated Architects, was quoted on the UKRRIN web site as saying: “The completion of the UKRRIN facility is an important milestone within the wider School of Engineering project. We are thrilled with the distinct identity achieved using weathered steel, which epitomises the industrial nature of the railway industry in a contemporary and refined style – juxtaposing yet complimenting the buff brick of the School of Engineering and traditional styles of the iconic red brick buildings on campus.

Nick Gibb, deputy managing director for the Midlands at Willmott Dixon, added: “Despite completing the final stages of the project during the Covid-19 pandemic, our teams optimised industry-leading safety and social distancing measures, which meant we were able to remain on-site during the pandemic and ultimately deliver this phase of the project on time.”