£65m Sheffield University Social Sciences building taking shape after dodgy foundations forced restart
and live on Freeview channel 276
The futuristic structure with sinuous curves and stepped floors is now a big presence on Whitham Road.
Keith Lilley, director of facilities and estates at the University of Sheffield, took to Linkedin to say: “The Social Sciences building is making great progress.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“The building will be our most sustainable, operating at net zero energy from day one. Geothermal ground source heat pumps will supply tempered water from up to 200m depth thanks to Erda Energy.
“It will consolidate our world-leading faculty into a ‘mini campus’, reducing the 19 separate locations that existed 10 years ago.”
He also gave a shout out to Sheffield’s HLM Architects and builders BAM Construct UK.
It is a second attempt at construction after movement was detected in the concrete frame.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIn July 2020, BAM said partial demolition was necessary due to subsidence. Then it said it had to knock down the entire structure and re-start on new foundations.
The site is a former reservoir between Northumberland Road and Whitham Road.
Construction started in 2019 and it should be in use in 2023.
Last year, BAM’s accounts showed several provisions totalling £30m for the project and other issues.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIt also had ‘discussions’ with other parties involved, believed to include structural engineers Mott Macdonald and piling contractor Cementation Skanska.
The Faculty of Social Sciences has a long-established reputation for producing world-leading research.
The university’s website states: “We tackle the greatest challenges of our time and work to implement solutions.”