The Manchester Engineering Campus Development, a £400m project led by the University of Manchester and currently being built by Balfour Beatty, has reached its highest point of construction.

MECD is one of the largest capital projects ever undertaken by a UK higher education institution, and is part of the university’s 10-year, £1bn campus masterplan.

The 700,000 sq ft building, which is supposedly as long as Beetham Tower is tall, is located near Oxford Road, and will consolidate the majority of the University’s estate onto one main campus, as part of the university’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint and costs. The move will see the large majority of the buildings in the former UMIST North Campus vacated; the university is currently seeking a development partner to build an innovation district on the site.

MECD will house the University’s engineering disciplines, teaching spaces and research institutes such as the Dalton Nuclear Institute and the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials.

Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “For well over a century The University of Manchester has celebrated many achievements in science and engineering, and across our other disciplines too. The University’s impact on and contribution to society is constantly evolving and this can be vividly seen through our buildings.

“MECD will create a world-leading teaching, learning and research facility to develop the engineers, scientists and innovators of tomorrow.”

As well as contractor Balfour Beatty, other companies working on MECD, concept architect Mecanoo, detail architect BDP, project manager Buro Four, project engineers Arup and cost manager Arcadis.

Source: Place North West