Designed by RMJM architects and built by Walter Lilly, the Information Engineering Building provides purpose-built accommodation for around half the Department of Engineering Science’s academic staff, and incorporates a number of practical laboratories for a diverse range of research in the field of information engineering. Speech processing, ultra-high speed digital communication, complex manufacturing systems and robots for hostile environments are some of the technologies being developed in the building.

The team has also researched robot navigation, surveillance techniques and reconstructing three-dimensional images from two-dimensional video sequences. Recent developments by the group include the Boujou Automated Tracker which allows animators to “glue” special effects into live-action backgrounds. The technology has been used in movies such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.

Also housed within the building is a new centre for medical imaging at Oxford: the Wolfson Medical Vision Laboratory, where research in the lab uses advanced vision and image analysis techniques to improve diagnosis of cardiac disease and cancer.

The challenging project comprised the demolition of an existing building and construction of a new laboratory building. The project provides approximately 3,330m² of additional research laboratories and supporting accommodation. The scheme has a close interface with the existing departmental buildings surrounding the site, forming new physical links between them at several levels and creating a new atrium space. The building provides flexible floor space, readily adaptable to the needs of the differing user groups.

The building was constructed on a tight urban site with a full height atrium designed to integrate the new and existing elements.

The site has a prominent west facing street frontage and the environmental strategy incorporates a triple skin glazed wall to assist energy conservation and reduce solar gain.

The building received an Oxford Preservation Trust Award for its contribution to the preservation and enhancement of Oxford’s heritage and also received a RIBA Certificate of Excellence in May 2007.

This was a two stage traditional contract completed on time and within budget.

The building, which has laboratory and office space for over 80 scientists, will encourage greater interaction between researchers in genetics, human anatomy and physiology with experts in important new fields such as bioinformatics and biostatistics.

This two stage scheme provided 3,000m² of research laboratories and supporting accommodation for the Departments of Human Anatomy and Genetics and provides a centre for World excellence for post Genome Science.

It is a four storey concrete and steel-framed unit with basement, finished externally with curtain-wall and stone cladding.

Internally there was a mix of high quality finishes, extensive laboratory furniture and associated services.

The project called for close local liaison, and was one of the largest construction projects undertaken by the University in recent years.

A further project was carried out next to the Gene Function building where a bunker housing nuclear magnetic resonance magnets was extended.

The Institute, funded through the University and the Medical Research Council (MRC), houses about 400 scientific, technical and support staff and approximately 100 students and is attracting high calibre young scientists, both clinical and non-clinical, from all over the world.

The applications of molecular and cell biology to medical practice are of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry and the Institute plays its part in forging links between the University and Industry.

The two stage Design & Build scheme involved the construction of a 2,068m² new building and a 588m² refurbishment to provide offices and further laboratories at the existing building at The John Radcliffe Hospital.

The building included a sedum roof as part of the sustainability agenda.

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