The University of Manchester has selected BAM Construction Ltd as the preferred bidder to design and build the £61m National Graphene Institute (NGI).

The contract value for BAM is approximately half of this amount.

Funding has been received by the University of Manchester for the NGI project from the European Regional Development Fund (£23m) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (£38m).

BAM's construction director, Ged Flanagan, said: "It is particularly pleasing to have been chosen as preferred contractor for this prestigious project as it continues our long association with the University of Manchester that included the construction of the Alan Turing building in 2007. The National Graphene Institute will be a landmark building in every respect and we are looking forward to getting started."


The NGI, designed by architect Jestico + Whiles, will be dedicated to finding commercial uses for graphene, which was discovered by Manchester's Nobel prize winning scientists Professors Andre Geim and Kostantin Novoselov.

The material is 200 times stronger than steel and just one atom thick - making it the strongest, thinnest and most conductive material ever measured.

Located at the main University campus, the NGI will be housed within a compact 7,626 square metre five-storey building, with a 1,500 square metre research lab for graphene scientists to collaborate with their colleagues from industry and other UK universities. This clean-room will be located on the lower ground floor for minimal vibration. The building will also include a second clean-room, plus laser, optical, metrology and chemical laboratories, seminar room and offices and ancillary accommodation.

The Client project team includes EC Harris as lead consultant undertaking client Project Management and Cost Management functions, with CH2M Hill the retained consultant providing specialist architectural laboratory design and M&E consultant services advice. Jestico + Whiles, as architect, and Ramboll, as civil and structural engineer, will be novated from EC Harris to BAM. BAM Design will provide technical architect services.

Work starts on site this month with completion in 2015.

(CD/JP)