Stride Treglown and DKA have been selected as the architects to design the University of Bath’s Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems.
The Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS) will be a global centre of excellence, delivering transformational research and innovation into advanced propulsion systems.
Located at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, IAAPS will lead the development of ultra-low emission vehicles and new businesses to the region, generating economic growth.
We are the lead consultant, designing the overall building envelope, office spaces and site-wide development. We will be assisted by Bath-based DKA who will apply specialist automotive expertise to develop and coordinate the design of the complex testing facilities.
The Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems from University of Bath on Vimeo.
Planning consent will be submitted in early 2018, with IAAPS scheduled to open in early 2020.
Project Lead and Vice-President (Implementation) at the University of Bath, Professor Steve Egan, said:
“We are delighted to have chosen Stride Treglown and DKA as the architects for this very significant research facility. IAAPS will enable the University to build upon its 40 years of automotive research excellence in collaboration with some of the world’s leading companies.
“We are really pleased to have been able to appoint architects with the relevant experience who will help us realise our ambition and design a facility that will help ensure the UK not only maintains, but expands its global position within the automotive sector.”
James Horner, Associate Architect at Stride Treglown, said:
“We’re very excited to have the opportunity to be working with the University again, this time to build a new home for world-class engineering expertise. We look forward to applying our recent experience of designing other similar facilities and our considerable user-centred design expertise to this important scheme.”
James Bastable, Director at DKA, added:
“This is a world class facility and one we are all very excited to be involved with. The testing and research and development spaces will be a major component in the success of the facility and we look forward to working with the University of Bath and their industry and supply chain partners to ensure that the project exceeds expectations.”
Other consultants from the University’s framework include Turner & Townsend, Fulkers, AECOM, and WSP.
The Institute will exploit the engineering expertise of the University of Bath for the benefit of the UK’s automotive industry. IAAPS will stimulate over £67m in additional automotive research investment by 2025, creating an additional turnover of £800 million for the UK automotive sector and supporting nearly 1,900 new highly productive jobs.
Specialist facilities will make IAAPS a centre of excellence for training and skills development in automotive engineering, supporting new Apprenticeships, Honours Degrees, Masters and Doctoral courses, helping to address the engineering skills shortage facing the UK automotive sector.
IAAPS will also support the development of a much larger and more competitive automotive business cluster in the South West by providing access to its state-of-the art facilities to regional start-ups and small to medium-sized companies.