Cardiff University – Maindy Innovation Campus

At the core of all innovative universities is the concept of collaboration. The flagship Hadyn Ellis Building houses three research groups with shared central facilities and adaptable lab spaces, once and for all uniting the university’s cross-disciplinary minds in one holistic environment. The Hadyn Ellis Building acts as the “front-door” to campus, expressed through a colourful exterior representative of its surroundings and a transparent glass façade that allows outsiders to observe the bustling flow of activity taking place within the foyer and exhibition area.

Inside, open balconies visually connect workers and visitors while a feature concrete staircase rises through the fourstorey atrium, providing quick access to world-class laboratories and office spaces. The design provides a range of collaborative spaces for work and play, including a comfortable atrium café, stunning double-height exhibition gallery, and a spacious 150-seat lecture theatre. Special emphasis was put on the controlled use of construction materials and colours, allowing us to create a visual identity that also acts as a natural wayfinding tool, intuitively guiding researchers to their destination.

Connecting minds

Research at CUBRIC focused on four interrelated fields: Imaging Science, Neuroscience, Clinical Research, and Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics — but their previous space was not allowing for the kind of cross-department communication and engagement that was vital to discovery. Four times larger than the University’s existing facilities, CUBRIC successfully united staff from all different departments, allowing for increased collaboration and innovation between teams with diverse skill sets and common causes. The facility is home to a breadth of medical research, boasting an NHS standard medical suite with drug trial unit and specialist MRI and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanning suites, including the 3T Connected MRI – the first of its kind in Europe – with power comparable to that of the Hubble Space Telescope. The space also integrates laboratories, office space and large seminar facilities with an outside garden terrace. In keeping with the community and university’s commitment to local preservation, CUBRIC’s design employs smart energy efficient features to achieve a BREEAM® Excellent rating. Read more about CUBRIC.