FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ted Johnson
Phone: 503-224-6040
E-Mail: Ted.Johnson@ch2m.com
IDC Architects Awarded Design of University of Manchester Graphene Facility Project
DENVER, July 9, 2012- (Virtual Press Office) – IDC Architects has been awarded the design of the cleanroom and laboratory for the new National Graphene Institute (NGI) at The University of Manchester in the UK. IDC Architects is part of CH2M HILL (http://www.ch2mhill.com), a global full service consulting, design, construction, and operations firm.

The UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has made a grant of £38 million to support the facility. Funding is also being sought from the European Regional Development Fund. The NGI is scheduled to open at the end of 2014.

The University of Manchester is an acknowledged leader in the research of graphene, the multifaceted material first isolated by Nobel Prize winning scientists Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov at the University in 2004.

At 200 times stronger than steel and just one atom thick, graphene is the strongest and thinnest material ever measured, and also the world’s most conductive material. It has a wide range of potential uses, including electronics, flexible touch screens and sensors and also in composite materials.

This world-class shared facility for graphene research and commercialization activities will be accessible by both researchers and business and will comprise highly-serviced nano-technology laboratories and cleanroom environments with access to specialist facilities and equipment which enable the simulation of manufacturing processes. The NGI will also include space for start-up businesses launched by university graduates looking to exploit the potential uses of graphene.

There has been extensive interest from members of industry in this technology, many of which are expected to be key partners in the NGI.

The winning design team for this groundbreaking new facility continues the successful collaboration between Jestico + Whiles and CH2M HILL. The working relationship between J+W and CH2M HILL includes their work together on the University of Southampton Mountbatten Building (http://newsroom.ch2mhill.com/pr/ch2m/2009-06-08_164.aspx) and more recently the Australian Institute of Nanoscience for the University of Sydney (http://newsroom.ch2mhill.com/pr/ch2m/idc-architects-awarded-cleanroom-227991.aspx). IDC Architects is also currently working on the Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering project in New York.

IDC Architects President Tim Meier said “We are very proud of the role we play among the world’s leading designers of nanotechnology research facilities. It’s gratifying to see our success on Mountbatten lead to our Australian Institute of Nanoscience project and now this latest project for the University of Manchester. Our international nanoscience portfolio now includes projects in the UK, Korea, Egypt, Denmark, Australia and the U.S.”

The Mountbatten facility has received multiple awards for architectural excellence including two American Institute of Architects Honor Awards and a Royal Institute of British Architects award.

Led by Project Managers E C Harris appointed through the OGC Framework, the NGI design team also includes the firm Ramboll providing civil and structural engineering services.

IDC Architects is an integrated multidisciplinary planning and design firm, passionate about discovering better ways for people, technology, buildings and the environment to work together. Considered an innovator in the design of science and technology buildings, IDC Architects is part of CH2M HILL, an employee-owned company headquartered near Denver, Colorado, USA. CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations, and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. The firm has been named a FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For five times. Visit http://www.idcarchitects.com and http://www.ch2mhill.com, twitter.com/ch2mhill and facebook.com/ch2mhill.

The University of Manchester, a member of the Russell Group, is one of the largest and most popular universities in the UK. It has 20 academic schools and hundreds of specialist research groups undertaking pioneering multi-disciplinary teaching and research of worldwide significance. According to the results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, The University of Manchester is one of the country’s major research institutions, rated third in the UK in terms of “research power.” The University had an annual income of £809 million in 2010/11.
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