Sheffield SITraN Laboratory - Research Facility

16 Dec 2008 University of Sheffield gains planning permission for £12 million motor neurone disease research laboratories as designed by Bond Bryan Architects The University of Sheffield has today received planning permission from Sheffield City Council for a new research facility designed by Bond Bryan Architects. The £12 million 2,800 m² facility will house The Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), a world-leading team researching a cure for motor neurone disease. Bond Bryan's associate director, Jason Clark, says: "The two-storey SITraN building will look like no other major research facility. It will feature natural materials such as timber and stone as well as utilising a pallet of colours found in nature. "The design has been put together in sympathy with its challenging site. It is a Conservation Area and sits amongst residential buildings too, so - following the university's brief, we have designed a building with a natural softness, not with the cold inorganic design often seen in laboratories." Though the building is two storeys it will appear to be single-storey as it is built into the landscape and entry is gained via the upper floor. A lightweight single storey pavilion will sit on top of the lower section housing the laboratories. Several major sustainable features have been designed into the building, including a green roof as well as large overhangs to reduce glare and solar gain. Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience Furnival Building : information + images received 161208