Bristol University's Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information officially opened yesterday and it has been hailed as the "quietest building in the world".

The £11 million project provides specialised laboratories where vibration and acoustic noise levels are among the lowest ever achieved, despite being located in Bristol city centre.

Capita Symonds provided project management services on the project which was designed by its architecture division – Capita Architecture.

The centre, which contains an anechoic chamber, two cleanrooms and wet, optical and low-vibration laboratories, offers opportunities for the development of future computing, communications and health technologies, as well as advanced materials such as those used in the aerospace industry.


The basement houses the 'low noise' area with a suite of ultra-low vibration nanoscience laboratories which are anchored to the rock below. The building also benefits from access to techniques and imaging equipment, much of which has been developed in-house, which allow researchers to observe, understand, manipulate and characterise nanostructures and reactions, both chemical and biological, and to develop new synthesised materials.

It has a unique purpose-designed environment in which a multidisciplinary and inter-disciplinary research community drawn from science, engineering, and medicine can be fostered and thrive through stimulating interactions and the exchange of ideas. It provides a focus of expertise for leading scientists and engineers from the University, the UK and across the world, to work and interact.

Iain Martin, Capita Architecture, said: "The NS&QI building is a beautiful and complex building amalgamating both art and science in a harmonious composition. It is technically complex and has exceeded expectations by becoming 'the quietest building in the world' in terms of vibration performance. For the scientists the building is beautiful for this reason alone!"

(CD/GK)