University of Sussex: architects work up potential designs for the new £60 m building for the School of Life Sciences

Brighton, UK, 4-11-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — Following approval in July for the University of Sussex’s campus masterplan, architects are working up potential designs for a new building for the School of Life Sciences.

The new £60 million building complex will be a hub for Sussex’s biological and biomedical community, equipping teaching and research faculty with the facilities they need to continue delivering pioneering work and providing students with 21^st-century facilities.

Professor Michael Davies, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), said: “Some of the UK’s leading biomedical researchers began their careers at Sussex and, in recent years, we have started to make major breakthroughs in our understanding of the causes of neuro-degenerative diseases and cancers and how they might be treated.

To build on this important work and explore the new frontiers of biomedicine, we are planning to create a state-of-the-art teaching and research facility that will bring all biomedical researchers at Sussex under one roof.”

The designs are still in development and subject to planning approval but it is hoped the new building will house:

• teaching laboratories and spaces for Life Sciences students including those studying the proposed new Pharmacy course
• a Bio Innovation Centre, bringing leading researchers from Sussex together with industry
• a new Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience Centre
• an expansion of the world-renowned Genome Damage and Stability Centre
• an expanded Sussex Centre for Advanced Microscopy
• a new Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery Centre
• a new joint Medical School/Life Sciences Screening and Target Discovery Centre
• a café and social meeting spaces for staff and students

The project includes a proposed refurbishment of the Genome building, which opened in 2002, and a connected new building spread over three and a half storeys.  The design approach responds to the existing architectural character of campus – and in particular the heritage of the 1960s buildings designed by Sir Basil Spence.

In parallel, the University has been progressing plans for the renewal of the East Slope housing area.  Earlier this year, Balfour Beatty Student Accommodation (BBSA) was appointed as the preferred bidder for the development and operation of this new student accommodation on campus, which will incorporate 2,000 new bedrooms.  Balfour Beatty and the University are now reviewing potential designs for the site.

All design proposals will be shared widely with staff and students, as well as with the local community, before planning applications are submitted to Brighton & Hove City Council some time during spring 2016.

John Duffy, Registrar of the University, said: “The careful development of our Falmer campus will not only allow us to provide a better education and experience for our students, but will create greater wealth and job opportunities for the region too.

“With the approval of the masterplan, we are tremendously excited about how we can now start to give shape to our vision for the campus.  But we also want to reassure our local and wider community that we will taking their views into consideration before any building work begins.”

“We will also soon be opening a permanent ‘shop’ in Lewes Road in Brighton, where residents will be able to learn more about our plans and engage with us on any matters of interest.”

Notes for editors

For more information, contact the Media Relations Team, Jacqui Bealing or James Hakner, Tel: 01273 678888,press@sussex.ac.uk

@SussexUniPress

SOURCE: University of Sussex

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The designs for the Life Sciences building are still in development and subject to planning approval.