Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester’s Bicentenary Year
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Dalton – A New Dawn for Science and Engineering in Manchester
Professor Mark Sterling and Dr David Lambrick of Manchester Metropolitan University introduce the new Dalton building and its contribution to the innovation and research strengths of the Oxford Road Corridor.
The new Dalton Building is the latest addition to the ever-transforming Manchester Met campus in the heart of the Oxford Road Corridor. Its imposing presence further enhances the knowledge quarter which has transformed over the last 15 years alongside Manchester’s booming skyline.
The opening of the Dalton building at the end of last year marked a new era of innovation and research in Science and Engineering at Manchester Met. The building is designed to be a global hub for innovation, research, and industry collaboration.
The Faculty of Science and Engineering has tripled the volume and quality of its research over the last three years, generating a significant impact on businesses and the city region.
Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Science and Engineering, Professor Mark Sterling explains: “The new building is a great state-of-the-art facility and represents our commitment to innovation. This extends across our research and teaching and will benefit those who work with us, as well as providing an excellent student experience.”
Professor Sterling, whose research focuses on wind engineering, joined Manchester Met in February 2024.
“During my interview for Manchester Met, I knew what an attractive proposition the new Dalton building would be and understood how serious the University was about moving forwards.”
He credits colleagues, Dr David Lambrick and Deputy Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor, Mike Watkinson with “doing most of the hard work by far” on the new Dalton building. With the build in the final stages when Professor Sterling arrived, his focus was the handover of the building, moving in and growing research activity.
He said: “The Dalton building will act as a springboard to grow our research activities, making us a central part of the city and ensuring that all of our excellent research has real impact.”
Dr David Lambrick, who was the Deputy Faculty Pro-Vice Chancellor for Science and Engineering up to his retirement in January 2024, following a career spanning 34 years at Manchester Met, added:
“It is more important than ever that we have well educated scientists and engineers and at Manchester Met I know we have the right kind of research that is going to help industry and the Manchester region.”
It was Dr Lambrick who made the case for the £115 million investment to build the new Dalton building – the most ambitious development project in the University’s history. Its completion in November marked the culmination of a £400 million transformation of the campus over the last ten years and brought Dr Lambrick’s vision for science and engineering to life.
He explained: “My colleagues and I wanted to see science and engineering education move forwards, so we factored spaces into the design that are collaborative and active. There are two active learning spaces, supporting a shift towards applying different methods of teaching seen in universities in the USA.”
One of these spaces is a 192-capacity super lab, which Dr Lambrick describes as “one of the best undergraduate laboratories in the country.” The lab is well-equipped, serving to give students an excellent education and prepare them for future success in their careers and working lives.
“We have made a huge effort to make the research visible and relevant to students. This will make the research we do even better. It will also enable new kinds of research to evolve because the facilities and spaces encourage people across disciplines to collaborate and innovate more effectively. It also facilitates our international and business collaborations. It’s the interactions between researchers that make amazing things happen.”
Delivering research with impact remains high on the University’s list of priorities. State-of-the-art labs to enable this are a key feature of the Dalton building.
Professor Sterling added: “The design of the building has resulted in a collaborative and healthy space. It has transformed the working environment, and it is clear to see that it is a place where staff and students want to spend time.
“There’s a real sense of space with the different atriums. The lighting, trees and moss wall all help to bring the outside in which is really important from a well-being perspective.”
For those wanting to study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Manchester Met offers the whole package, giving students an excellent university experience and preparing them for their future careers.
Dr Lambrick explained: “Manchester is a great place to study STEM. We have a huge faculty now with over 8,000 students. It’s good for students to be around all those other people who are doing science. The thing that makes it work is the interaction with other disciplines.
“If you want to be successful out there in the world you have to be able to work with different disciplines and that’s what’s happening in the new building.”
Professor Sterling added: “We have passionate staff, state-of-the-art facilities, and equipment – it’s just a fantastic place to be.
“Manchester Met is a place where people care. The staff are supportive and always go the extra mile for our students. The other important thing is the diversity of the student community.
“A big part of coming to university is extending your network, making new friends, and having new experiences. You can do that here when you have such a diverse community around you.”
It’s fitting that the new Dalton building opened in the year that Manchester Met celebrated 200 years of proudly driving progress.
In 1990, when Dr Lambrick joined Manchester Met, the regeneration of the city was just starting, and the footprint of today’s campus had yet to take shape.
He said: “The area back then was quiet, not a lot was happening. But in Manchester itself and the University, every year something progressive happened. The steps got bigger and there was an explosion of development and change.”
Dr Lambrick was based in the original John Dalton building, which opened in 1964, featuring quirks including an assembly hall and an outside passage that ran alongside the Mancunian Way. Re-development work in 2005 saw a significant refurbishment of the tower block but he had a much bolder vision and knew that a longer-term plan was needed to take science and engineering at Manchester Met to the next level.
Seeing his plan come to fruition has been one of the many highlights in Dr Lambrick’s career. He was also pivotal in setting up the hydrogen fuel cell innovation centre, which is leading the way in harnessing renewable energy as well as the opening of the Institute of Sport on Oxford Road.
Now retired, he is rightly proud of the legacy he has left and continues to support the development of science and engineering at Manchester Met as a Visiting Professor.
He and Professor Sterling are confident that the new facility positions the University as a leader in science and technology education. Its innovative laboratories, research hubs, and active learning environments, provide a vital space for delivering excellent education and research with impact across four key themes: Health, Sport, and Active Ageing; Clean Energy and the Natural Environment; Advanced Materials and Manufacturing; and AI, Digital, and Cyber-Physical Systems.
It is undoubtedly a major contributor to the world-class Oxford Road Corridor knowledge quarter, transforming lives through research, innovation, skills, and education.
Professor Sterling reflected: “The Dalton building is so much more than an impact on the skyline – it’s an impact on the city and a real statement that says we are here to stay. We care about the city and the contribution that we make to the Oxford Road Corridor.”
Digital & Tech
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