New Science Building

Overview

Completed in 2019 at a cost of £30 million, the New Science Building serves multiple faculties with high-quality, flexible teaching and laboratory spaces. Designed by Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects, it spans 7200 sq m and honors Denys Lasdun’s original campus masterplan while providing modern facilities for lectures, seminars, and research.

Architecture and Design

Positioned at the campus's western edge, surrounded by trees, the building accesses via a new landscaped courtyard linking to the Julian Study Centre. A central atrium acts as a social hub with soft seating, pop-up library spaces, and raked seating for presentations. Natural light varies through the day, enhancing the journey via material treatments and a zinc-clad chimney marking the entrance.

Facilities and Usage

Ground floor offers nine flexible teaching rooms, some combinable for large events or exams, accommodating over 580 students. Upper floors house specialized labs for environmental sciences and computing on lower levels, with highly serviced research spaces above. Service access is discreet from the north, supporting intensive use by various departments.

Campus Integration

Part of UEA's 360-acre Norwich Research Park campus, it promotes cross-disciplinary idea exchange. Open 6am-10pm weekdays, it suits students, researchers, and visitors, with AV-equipped seminar rooms ideal for conferences.

Visitor Experience

The building's design encourages pausing in the courtyard, informal interactions in niches, and group study. Its modern ethos aligns with UEA's founding spirit of discovery, set against Norfolk's scenic backdrop.