The expansion and refurbishment of the existing teaching spaces provided improved capacity and high-quality facilities for students. Due to the specialised nature needed for the laboratories, we liaised closely with the Pharmaceutical department at the University of Manchester when designing them to ensure that the appropriate equipment and facilities were optimised for the course specific teaching that would take place.

Upon appointment to the project, the scheme focused on transforming outdated teaching laboratories as well as designing pharmaceutical skill suites to provide teaching spaces that offer practical experiential learning opportunities for students. These facilities were designed with providing ample space and flexibility for a variety of teaching opportunities. Works also included improved circulation routes and upgraded building services.

Outside of the student focused teaching spaces designed for the Pharmaceutical department, we also designed new office spaces. Repurposing underutilised space in the building these new offices were created for the student support department, that at the time were being relocated to the Stopford building.

Delivering the Stopford Teaching Laboratories required addressing several significant challenges including rigorous scope management to keep the project on budget without compromising on the performance, safety and functionality needed from the facilities.

Additionally, since the Stopford Building at the University of Manchester is home to a variety of departments, this created a complex situation when the project moved onto site which involved careful consideration for minimising the impact that the works taking place would have on students who were still studying in the building. As a result of this we structured the works into a multiphase implementation. As while it would take longer than implementing all the refurbishments simultaneously, it offered the best balance of being time efficient and minimising disruption across the building.

To emphasises the success of this project it was awarded by the University of Manchester at their ‘Estates & Facilities Outstanding Contribution Awards’ Project of the Year – Large.