The 38,000 sq m building forms the centrepiece of the University's 拢500m new campus, and creates a new gateway to Bristol, transforming the former Royal Mail sorting office site into a world-class destination for education, innovation and collaboration.
Delivered on time and within budget by Sir Robert McAlpine, the development sits at the heart of the wider Bristol Temple Quarter regeneration programme and has been designed to bring together students, researchers, businesses and community partners in a flexible, future-focused environment.
The building provides space for around 4,500 students and 650 staff and supports teaching and research in areas including artificial intelligence, cyber security, advanced telecommunications, digital engineering, business and quantum technologies.
At the heart of the building is the 300-seat 'in the round' Bill Brown Lecture Theatre, one of the few of this type in the UK, 22 Active Learning Studios, specialist cyber security suites, Bloomberg trading terminals, digital production facilities and advanced prototyping spaces designed to encourage collaboration between academia and industry.
The opening represents a significant step forward in the transformation of Bristol Temple Quarter, a programme bringing together partners including the University of Bristol, Bristol City Council, the West of England Combined Authority, Homes England and Network Rail to create a nationally significant innovation district.
Located alongside a new eastern entrance to Bristol Temple Meads station and enhanced public realm, the project improves connectivity across the city while creating a focal point for innovation, enterprise and skills development.
The building has been designed to achieve a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating and is connected to a district heating network to help reduce operational carbon emissions. Lower-carbon construction methods, including the use of eco-concrete, were adopted during delivery, while more than 750 rooftop solar panels contribute to the building's renewable energy generation. The wider campus landscape includes over 130 mature trees and new biodiversity habitats.
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