19 April 2012
Work is now moving on at pace with the preparatory works being carried out on the site of the new Bristol Life Sciences building. The enabling works contractor Birse Civils, has now removed all buildings from the site and is well advanced in the stabilisation of the rock face supporting St Michael’s Hill, Tyndall Avenue and the adjoining University buildings. Significant excavation has been made across the site, with ground levels now up to 7 metres lower than the originals. So far in excess of 10,000 cubic metres of excavated material has been reused on another site in Bristol and over 600 square metres of red Brandon stone has been recovered for reuse on the new building.
The listed former Children’s Hospital building is being retained and has been pressed in to use as a temporary base for the Estates Office Capital Projects team. The main contractor VINCI Construction UK is scheduled to take possession of the site on the 15th May 2012. VINCI will be working to an exacting programme which is intended to see the building completed in October 2013. This in turn enables Biological Sciences to start the process of occupying the building in the lead up to Christmas 2013.
The web site page carries various views of the new building, an architect’s fly-through of both exterior and interior and an up to date photograph of site works.
A key part of the project will be the extensive landscaping of that part of the Royal Fort area previously occupied by temporary buildings. This will include the creation of a new footpath linking the Royal Fort to St Michael’s Hill. Full landscape works will be completed in the Spring of 2014.
This exciting project is in the vanguard of the University’s Capital Plan, which will also see the Queens Road Building renovated, the construction of new student residences at Stoke Bishop, the refitting of the Wills Memorial Library and the renovation of the existing Biological Sciences Building. At the end of 2012, there will be approximately £110 million worth of projects on site in the largest capital programme that has been carried out at the University of Bristol for many years.
Patrick Finch19 April 2012
