The Natural History Museum (NHM) has appointed
Mace as its preferred main contractor to build a new 25,000m2 Collections,
Research & Digitisation Centre at Thames Valley Science Park in Reading.
Mace has been appointed to deliver
pre-construction services including design and procurement.
Other members of the project team include CPC Project Services as Project
Managers, Arcadis as Cost Consultants, Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios as
Architects, and Ramboll as Mechanical & Electrical and Civil &
Structural Engineers.
Subject to planning permission, which has recently been submitted to Wokingham
Borough Council, in 2024 the Museum will begin constructing a sustainable new
facility at Thames Valley Science Park, the innovation campus of the University
of Reading in Shinfield. It is expected that the construction of the building
will be finished in 2027. The project is generously enabled through a
substantial £201m investment from the UK Government as part of its priority to
increase investment in science, research and development.
By 2031, the centre will be operational, equipped with cutting edge
laboratories, space for Museum scientists and purpose-built storage for 28
million specimens. Transporting these specimens to Shinfield will be as big as
any move of natural history specimens globally.
Gareth Lewis, Mace’s CEO for Construct
said: “We’re very
proud to have been appointed to deliver this landmark scientific facility on
behalf of the Natural History Museum. Together with our supply chain we will be
raising the bar on sustainability and apply the latest digital thinking to
deliver the project to the highest quality and safety standards.”
Keith Jennings, Director of
Estates, Projects and Masterplanning at the Natural History Museum, said: “This new site will enable us to secure irreplaceable
collections in a purpose-built storage facility, provide new scientific
infrastructure to accelerate research and digitisation, and act as a base for
new collaborations and partnerships.
“We are very excited to see the project
reach this stage and look forward to working with Mace under a pre-construction
services agreement to further develop the project and prepare for the
construction phase.”
As advocates for the planet, sustainability is integral to how the Museum
operates. The centre at Thames Valley Science Park will be constructed with the
lowest-possible environmental impact, using responsibly sourced materials and
services, aided by Mace’s team of sustainability experts. The Museum is
committed to achieving a net-zero carbon building in both construction and
operation.
Housed at the new centre in bespoke storage will be the Museum’s collections of
mammals, non-insect invertebrates (such as corals, crustaceans, molluscs and
worms), fossilised mammals and invertebrates, molecular collections and
micropalaeontology. The facility will also include an imaging and analysis
centre including digitisation suites; state-of-the-art molecular biology
laboratories including ancient DNA labs; cryo-facilities for tissue storage;
conservation labs; and specimen preparation labs including quarantine
facilities.
The Museum’s new facility will further open up its collections to researchers
for scientific innovation, strengthening the UK’s position in finding solutions
to the planetary emergency.
