Construction on a new state-of-the-art IT building at University College Cork (UCC) has commenced.
The building will play a significant role in the continued development of outstanding research clusters and the doubling of PhD student numbers, as pronounced in the recently published Government policy document Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation 2006 – 2013.
It will incorporate cutting-edge teaching and research facilities in the areas of information technology, mathematical sciences and biomedicine.
It is one of the largest capital projects to be undertaken by the UCC to date and will be a key component in the delivery of the university’s commitment to maintaining its position at the forefront of third- and fourth-level teaching and research in Ireland.
Welcoming the commencement of construction, UCC president Professor Gerard T Wrixon said the IT building “represents a further element in UCC’s strategic plan to maintain its leading role in the delivery of a knowledge-based economy”.
The three-storey, 15,800m2 landmark building designed by architects Scott Tallon Walker will take two years to complete and represents a total investment of over €60m. The building will be located at the former greyhound track on the Western Road and is designed to accommodate some 1,500 students. The Facility will be easily accessible from the main UCC campus and is adjacent to the Brookfield Health Sciences Complex as well as to the major student accommodation developments at Victoria Cross.
The building will include lecture theatres, undergraduate and postgraduate laboratories, research space, offices, a restaurant and ancillary facilities. Sustainability has been a key driver of the design. The building will feature a full-height glazed atrium and internal courtyards to maximise natural light and allow extensive use of natural ventilation as well as stack-driven displacement ventilation. Ground source cooling will also be used to minimise energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions.
The development is part of UCC’s ongoing capital programme of investment under its strategic plan.
By Elaine Larkin
