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Works starts in preparation for the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre

22 Oct 2015

Work has started to prepare the site of the Faraday Building on North Campus to make way for the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre

GEIC

The £60m GEIC will strengthen and support the UK’s position in advanced materials research and development.

Environmental Sustainability has been embedded into the design.  One particular area of focus has been accessible greenspace.  Since the Faraday Building was vacated in 2007, the landscaped areas of the site have been inaccessible to staff, students and the public and therefore underutilised. The GEIC development will reinvigorate this green space with a new landscaping scheme promoting biodiversity and providing an attractive gateway to the North Campus.

However, to facilitate demolition of the building and link bridge, it will be necessary to remove nineteen trees to be replaced by sixteen new ones along with significant additional planting in a newly created Pocket Park which, will vastly improve the landscaped area and through attractive biodiverse planting contribute to local biodiversity.

Footpath and cycle path users will also benefit from the area to the east of the subway being opened up, improving natural surveillance.  Improved evergreen screening to the boundary with the Mancunian Way will act as a barrier to vehicle emissions and noise.

As well as trees in the Pocket Park area, street trees are also proposed for Lower Albion Street and additional trees will be included in the screen planting to the Mancunian Way.

Diana Hampson, Director of Estates and Facilities who are delivering the project, said: “As part of the University’s commitment to sustainability, the GEIC development will increase the biodiversity of the site.  The Pocket Park will help mitigate the loss of trees required for the development while improving the landscape. Overall there will be a net gain in the number of trees on the site.”

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