Mountbatten Building progress

The reconstruction of our new Mountbatten Building is happening very quickly. The foundation piling has now been completed and work has started on the foundations and the ground floor. Incorporated in the design will be a thick mass filled anti-vibration layer between the ground floor and the subsoil to ensure that the building is insulated against vibration from adjacent buildings and roads.

Work on the superstructure, which will be constructed using reinforced concrete, will commence in early March and we are confident that this will be completed by this autumn. The first few storeys (where most of the research will be undertaken) will have an external glass face. The top two storeys will be dedicated to offices and common rooms. The research facilities will be fully air-conditioned and the rest of the building will be a naturally ventilated 'green' building. The use of reclaimed or re-cycled materials is very important to the concept of this building. In fact, material from the fire damaged building was broken up and much of the crushed concrete materials have been reclaimed and re-used on-site.

The programme for completion of the project is still scheduled for late summer 2008.