The Engineering Innovation Building (EIB) is a venture between the University of Southampton Science Park and the University of Southampton. It brings together university research activities and local business interests. It also houses the Future Towns Innovation Hub which itself links partners and academics together to collaborate, co-create and exchange knowledge and technologies.
The EIB provides a physical space for business and enterprise to interact utilising world leading facilities within one of the country’s most outstanding engineering groups in an environment that nurtures creativity and innovation. It also accommodates large scale test facilities that enable co-designed technological solutions to be advanced to a high level in readiness for commercialisation.
The building comprises specialist laboratory facilities that will support a range of sectors such as eco-hydraulics, hydraulic flumes, electronics, transport research, aerospace, energy research and unmanned systems, all serviced by workshop areas and high-quality dedicated innovation and engagement spaces for industrial collaboration. In addition, it provides offices and workshops to attract business to integrate and collaborate with researchers as part of long-term ventures.
The building enables this by providing a variety of spaces for research and commercial activities together with areas for meeting, presentation and informal gatherings, including meeting rooms, multi-use spaces, coffee bar and corridor booth seating with large scale markable walls to enable ad-hoc discussions and promote the sharing of ideas.
The site includes an avenue of protected lime trees, so the building footprint was restricted in shape and orientation. It is part 2 and part 3 storeys tall. The flumes, laboratories and workshops are on the ground floor as they require level access and include roller shutter doors. Offices and communal facilities are on the first floor and an environmental laboratory and plant room are on the second floor.
The roof is covered with photovoltaic panels which were designed and specified by one of the building’s tenants.
The pallet of materials is simple with dark blue brickwork to the base and grey cladding above. Highlights are picked out in yellow / green to the sunshades and entrance canopy.