Architect selected to design Institute research centre
The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation's (LTGDC) ambition to locate a world class sustainability research institute in east London has moved a step closer with the appointment of a design team lead, by award winning Edward Cullinan Architects. The £8.5m research centre will be based at LTGDC's London Sustainable Industries Park (London SIP) at Dagenham Dock.
The exemplar research centre will be the first phase of development for the Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability and aims to provide adaptable accommodation for research, development and application projects being undertaken by the Institute and its partners. It will be an integral part of the London SIP with multi-disciplinary research projects into sustainable construction and procurement, energy management, materials re-use and recycling. It will also provide business incubation support services.
Over 50 teams originally bid for the commission and after shortlisting, the team comprising Edward Cullinan Architects, Ramboll UK (Structural Engineer), Hoare Lea (Services and Sustainability) and Whitelaw Turkington (Landscape and Ecology) has been selected.
Mark Bradbury, Deputy Director of Development at the LTGDC said: "Edward Cullinan Architects scored consistently well across all of our selection criteria, with particularly strong performance being noted within their proposed design, vision and approach to sustainability and with the project personnel they were dedicating to resourcing the project."
Securing the location of the world-class research centre in east London contributes significantly to LTGDC's aim to develop the London SIP as a unique site for ‘industrial symbiosis' - a process by which businesses establish trading relationships to use each others products, by-products and waste and share resources, moving towards a closed loop system at the park.
The London SIP is part of LTGDC's ambition to regenerate a 25 hectare area of vacant and underused former industrial land, creating more than 2,000 new jobs in east London.
The research centre will be designed to ensure adaptability to changing needs and to promote interaction between businesses with zones to allow for both public access and project security. It will reflect the best practice in sustainable design and management and is aiming to achieve BREEAM ‘Outstanding' and LEED ‘Platinum' status.
Ian Short, Director and Trustee at the Institute said "We are working with a number of our high profile academic and corporate partners to bring truly exciting research on sustainability best practice to the UK and east London. The London SIP offers us a unique opportunity to base world class researchers amongst those companies who are delivering sustainability on the ground."
Mark Bradbury added "The inward investment and business proposition for environmental technology firms just gets better and better. The Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability is the only organisation in the Gateway with the expertise, depth and partnerships to bring commercial solutions for sustainability to businesses and major developments in the region. The synergies that the Institute brings to the London SIP add up to a winning formula for businesses and major regeneration benefits to the local community.
"Driving the process for securing the Institute's base at the London SIP is evidence of our firm commitment to making east London a critical location for innovation and advance in environmental technologies and sustainable industries. We've had a fantastic response to our call for a design team to deliver this project and we're looking forward to seeing proposals in more detail."
Colin Rice, director at Edward Cullinan Architects, said: "This is a great opportunity with such a strong team to drive forward our sustainable research buildings we have been developing at the University of East London Dockland Campus and at Warwick University to help stimulate regeneration."
Subject to demand, the Institute will look to deliver a subsequent extension on the site within three years.