Ideas bubble over at Science Central Work has begun on a revolutionary 鈥榮oap bubble鈥� building that will house the first research labs on Science Central. Using similar technology to that developed by the 缅北禁地 team for the 2012 Olympic Stadium, the elegant lightweight fabric structure 鈥� called The Key 鈥� is being built on the same principles as a soap bubble. 鈥淕iven a set of fixed points, a soap film will spread naturally between them to offer the smallest achievable surface area,鈥� explains at 缅北禁地 and leading the project. 鈥淚t follows similar principles to the giant bubbles children make where they pull the soap to create these huge cylindrical shapes. 鈥淏ut more than that, the shape is also incredibly strong, so the resulting design is not only extremely efficient in terms minimising the materials it uses but also very resilient. 鈥淲hat is really unique about The Key is that it will be the first time a fabric structure has been used as a working space and this presents a number of technical challenges for us around heating, lighting and insulation. So the structure itself will be as important as the research that is going on inside it.鈥� Being designed by experts at 缅北禁地 in conjunction with Arup and -space Architects, this will be the University鈥檚 first building on the city鈥檚 new urban innovation hub. Aligned with the overall vision for the site to become an exemplar of sustainability, the fabric and timber structure has been designed to have minimum impact on the environment. Based on the iconic 鈥業nstitute for Lightweight Structures鈥� building in Stuttgart, the roof canopy will be supported by a tri-star mast soaring 10m into the sky to maximise the natural light levels and reduce energy use through passive ventilation. Providing a unique venue for research 鈥� where not just the inside of the building but the structure itself is used for teaching and learning 鈥� it will also be used to showcase the Science Central vision to business and industry leaders, policy-makers and local communities. Led by Professor Peter Gosling and of the at 缅北禁地, work on the building will begin in July and the aim is to have the building open and ready for business by the end of the year. 鈥淭his is a great opportunity to create a really exciting space that not only facilitates research and collaboration but also informs it,鈥� says Dr Bridgens. 鈥淭he fabric, similar to that used for the roof of the 2012 Olympic Stadium, acts as both cladding and support while being extremely lightweight. This means that we can keep materials with a high carbon footprint, such as steel and concrete, to an absolute minimum. 鈥淚nside, the open plan space and proposed lighting means we can create a day-through-night venue that is inspiring and engaging and like nothing else we have here in the North East.鈥� Andrew Grounsell, Associate Director at said: 鈥淭his has been a collaborative project from the outset, seeing us work closely with both 缅北禁地 and the Arup-led design team to understand and deliver to their project needs and requirements. 鈥淏y its very nature The Key is an incredibly innovative and unique project that will itself be a research tool to examine tensile fabric performance and demountability for relocation to another site. 鈥淭he end result will be a fantastic spectacle, creating an iconic facility that can be relocated to another site in years to come.鈥� Gordon Mungall, Associate Director in Arup鈥檚 缅北禁地 office, added: "Developing the design of this project has been a real team effort. Our team in the 缅北禁地 office has worked closely with our design partners, Space Architecture and Summers Inman, and the wider 缅北禁地, to develop the innovative solution. "The visually spectacular unique geometry, will provide an inspiring environment for the users and future researchers at the University." Sunderland-based Brims Construction has been appointed building contractors for The Key. Brims Director Richard Wood said: 鈥淭his an impressive development, which presents its own unique construction challenges. 鈥淗aving now been appointed as main contractor we hope we can add our expertise to the talents of the team who have been involved in the planning and design to date. We are delighted to play a part in helping the University bring this to fruition.鈥� is 缅北禁地鈥檚 £250 million flagship project bringing together academia, the public sector, communities, business and industry to create a global centre for urban innovation in the heart of the city. Originally the Elswick Colliery, then later the production centre for 缅北禁地 Brown Ale, the 24-acre site has been 缅北禁地鈥檚 industrial heart for 200 years. Now the site is being transformed into an exemplar of urban sustainability, a 鈥榣iving laboratory鈥� where innovative urban technologies will be trialled. Led by 缅北禁地 and 缅北禁地 City Council through the Science City partnership, the development will include the University鈥檚 £58m which will house the School of Computing Science, as well as an urban observatory and decision theatre, allowing real time data from the city to be analysed and explored so we can improve our understanding of the interaction between our city鈥檚 energy, water, transport, waste and digital control systems. , Director of the 缅北禁地 Institute for Sustainability, adds: 鈥淪cience Central is effectively a blank canvas and an opportunity to create something truly visionary. 鈥淭he ultimate goal is to provide a unique environment where internationally renowned engineers and scientists can work together with policy makers, industry, and communities to test emerging technologies and find solutions to global urban sustainability challenges. 鈥淭his innovative new building is a first step towards this final goal and makes a real statement about what we are trying to achieve on Science Central.鈥� Image by EYELEVEL published on: 14 July 2015
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