Jestico + Whiles was appointed by the University of Cambridge to design the new Cavendish III Laboratory on its West Cambridge campus, replacing the existing facility on a nearby site. The Cavendish is one of the most renowned physics laboratories in the world. Begun in 1874 and home to 29 Nobel laureates, its achievements include the discovery of both the electron and the neutron, and the identification of the structure of DNA. The new Cavendish Laboratory will be home to the university’s Department of Physics, and will house over 15 research groups in both theoretical and experimental physics, providing advanced research facilities including cleanrooms, cryostat halls, microscopy suites, and laser and optical labs.
Image © Jestico + Whiles 
Image © Jestico + Whiles
The design will meet stringent vibration criteria and technical requirements for electromagnetic interference. There will also be extensive teaching and learning spaces, including a 450-seat lecture theatre, teaching labs for undergraduates, a learning resource centre, outreach and exhibition spaces, a tea room and other collaborative working areas for researchers and students. The 40,000m2 building is expected to complete in 2021.
Jestico + Whiles’ proposals for the new facility will support the ground-breaking research into physics and cognate sciences that has been taking place at Cambridge for over 140 years and will contribute to the university’s wider development for West Cambridge. The design team includes CH2M as technical architects, Ramboll as civil and structural engineers, Hoare Lea as M+E, Plincke as landscape architects, and Sweett Group as project managers and Aecom as cost manager. Source and images Courtesy of Jestico + Whiles.