The Pears building: Institute of immunity and transplantation

Overview

The Pears Building is a world-class research centre bringing together leading scientists, academic clinicians, and clinical trials specialists to develop revolutionary treatments and therapies for patients.

The Pears Building is a world-class research centre bringing together leading scientists, academic clinicians, and clinical trials specialists to develop revolutionary treatments and therapies for patients. The building will aid in the discovery of disease-causing immune mechanisms and utilise this knowledge to develop new immunotherapies. Designed by Hopkins Architects, the centre houses world-class laboratory space, unique research facilities and write-up spaces for the UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation.

The building's seven-storey structure comprises a five-storey exposed concrete frame with a two-storey steel frame above. The concrete helps achieve the exceptionally tight vibration requirements necessary for world-class laboratory facilities, with the steel frame minimising the construction depth and complying with the planning heights.

The geology of the area provided complex challenges to construct the building, however through extensive technical expertise and site investigations all issues were addressed at the early design stages.

This presentation to the members and fellows of ICE describes the detailed design of the Pears Building and challenges associated with the civil and structural engineering on a sloping, constrained site, near a listed church and on a healthcare campus which required consideration for ambulatory routes and other emergency access.

The presentation team will include details about the justification for the building, the overall design and the project management and construction methods used throughout the duration of the build.