A new £11 million Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Centre (ISTeC) has been built at Nottingham Trent University.

The two-storey facility is located at the University's Clifton campus and will provide modern facilities for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as research scientists.

Designed by Maber Architects, features include laboratories for bioscience, computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, robotics, sport science and engineering – and a specialist robot arena, for researching humanoid and other robots as well as testing suites for exercise, food and nutrition.


The building was officially opened earlier this month by Dame Judith Hackitt DBE, former chair of the UK Health and Safety Executive and current chair of the Engineering Employers Federation.

M&E consultancy Couch Perry Wilkes acted as lead designers for the project, as well as M&E engineering design consultants.

Craig Waldron, a director at the firm, said: "Not only will the ISTeC building provide the highest quality teaching and learning spaces for NTU's staff, students and researchers, but it will also encourage collaboration and working as a team by bringing together a range of different disciplines.

"We were very pleased to work alongside NTU and the other project partners to deliver what really is a fantastic facility for the university – particularly as it is located right on our doorstep."

Professor Mary O'Neill, the Dean of Nottingham Trent University's School of Science and Technology, said: "This is an important development for Nottingham Trent University to integrate state-of-the-art facilities with project-based learning, so that we can continue to excite and challenge students and better prepare them for jobs in science and technology."

(LM)