IfM Alan Reece building

the Alan Reece building

A focus for industrial innovation

The new IfM 'Alan Reece' building on the University's West Cambridge Site was handed over on Monday 16th March 2009, to programme and within budget. (Construction started in February 2008).

Staff and equipment moved from the Mill Lane site during June and early July 2009.

The building provides us with magnificent purpose-built facilities, co-located on one site for the first time. It will realise a vision of creating an international centre for industrial innovation, combining research, education and practice in an integrated approach to global industrial issues.

The 4,400m² structure is named The Alan Reece Building after Dr Alan Reece whose generous £5 million donation provided the funds needed to complete construction. Dr Reece, founder of Pearson Engineering Ltd, has a long and distinguished involvement in manufacturing, both as an academic and an industrialist. A further £5 million donation has come from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.

The new building provides:

• innovative teaching and research facilities
• an Industrial Design and Innovation Studio
• state of the art equipment for industrial laser systems, inkjet and RFID applications

Environmental issues have been an important consideration in the design of the building which is heated by a biomass boiler and features a large amount of natural materials.

The design takes advantage of a sloping site to provide well-proportioned social and working spaces which are all readily accessible from the core circulation space.

The new building is a major addition to the University's West Cambridge campus for science and technology. It joins an existing concentration of related research centres, as well as the East Forum, a focal point for entrepreneurship and technology transfer.

Use the menu at the left side for more details about the building, the site, plans and photographs etc.