The University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) has won ‘Project of the Year’ at the region’s RICS Awards 2019.
The new building, which is the first on the university’s North Campus in 40 years, won the ‘Design through Innovation’ award before winning the overall category.
The GEIC will open up opportunities for new innovation using the 2D material Graphene. There are plans for regeneration of the North Campus site to become a ‘Graphene City’, to which the GEIC will be pivotal and is expected to make an economic impact of more than £100m over the facilities’ lifetime. Diana Hampson, Director of Estates said: “We have an ambitious Estates Strategy and a billion pound investment programme that is now bearing fruit in the transformation of our buildings and Campus around Oxford Road.
“We are delighted with this award as recognition for the quality of our design and construction projects. The GEIC is one of our signature buildings and houses innovation for the 21st century using graphene technologies first isolated at The University of Manchester.
“Our ambition for developing the campus and adding value to the city was also boosted in March of this year when we launched Innovation District (ID) Manchester, demonstrating our commitment to developments that enhance the buildings, public realm and quality of Manchester’s built environment.
We are very proud to win this award – and to win it for such a unique building as the GEIC.”