THE CHEMISTRY department has sealed a £6 million deal with VINCI Construction to design and construct a new teaching and research block.
After the serious fire in Chemistry in February, C Block was demolished in July to allow replacement constructions to take place.
The planned two-storey building is part of a £29 million redevelopment of the Chemistry estate, which will include new laboratories and research facilities for undergraduates. The latest development will provide a large teaching laboratory capable of accommodating 160 students, with 80 two -person fume cupboards.
The aim is to complete the project by late 2013, and it is hoped that it will further establish York University as one of the leading institutions for Chemistry in the UK.
David Duncan, the University’s Registrar and Secretary told Vision: “The renewal of the Chemistry estate was planned before the fire, and would have had to go ahead anyway. Phase one of the works has been completed on time and on budget, and provides first class research facilities. We have already raised the old building and will now build new teaching facilities on this footprint.
“Chemistry is a key department for York – unlike at other institutions, we recruit excellent students. The department gets very high NSS scores – among the highest in the sector. The new facilities will vastly improve the working environment.”
On the developments, second year chemistry student Sam Lobato commented: “It’s fantastic that the University are improving the department’s facilities. New laboratories will definitely benefit students’ experiences, and some of the old buildings were dilapidated and in need of replacement before last year’s fire anyway.”
The building will offer space for over 100 researchers in the new high quality, purpose built laboratories.