Broadcaster Sir David Attenborough is to unveil a new £56.5 million science building in Bristol.

The world-class facilities for science research and teaching are within the University of Bristol's Life Science building.

The building, designed by the architects Sheppard Robson and built by Vinci Construction UK, forms a new landmark on the Bristol skyline and has a terrace with views across the city.

Work to construct the 13,500 square metre iconic Life Sciences building began in July 2011 and it has just welcomed its first intake of students.

A total of 2,000 people have worked on the project, including 28 architects from 10 countries.

Patrick Finch, Bursar at the University of Bristol, said: "This building and its surrounding public realm has represented the most ambitious project taken on by the University's Estates Office to date.

"That it has now been successfully handed over to form a wonderful new home for staff and students is a testimony to a strong ethos of team working between staff in Estates and in the School of Biological Sciences, consultants and contractors. I am immensely proud of the team's achievement, which should set a standard in the sector for many years to come."


This project showcases the best in sustainable design and energy efficiency and it’s been designed to achieve the environmental accreditation BREEAM Excellent and represents a major part of the University’s drive to provide energy efficient laboratories.

Heat from the laboratories' ventilation systems is reclaimed and re-used, rainwater collected from the roof is used to flush the toilets, blinds lower automatically when the sun shines and lighting has been designed to avoid pollution of the night sky.

To reflect the research being carried out inside, the exterior of the building is home to a striking vertical garden, called a living wall, which stands over 20 metres above street level. It’s home to 11 different species of plant, plus boxes for birds and bats, and creates the pattern of a microscope image of algal cells.

A state-of-the-art greenhouse, known as a GroDome, sits on top of the building and is capable of recreating tropical conditions thanks to controlled light, humidity and temperature.

The Life Sciences building also has one of the largest teaching labs in the country, capable of teaching 200 students at once. There are multiple screens to ensure all students can see close-up what the lecturer is doing and moveable walls can change the size of the teaching space.

A five-storey laboratory wing boasts acoustic chambers for bat research, an insectarium, labs for studying ant and bee behaviour, spectroscopy and microscope rooms.

(CD/IT)