The CRM building was purpose built to house over 250 staff, was officially opened by HRH Princess Royal in May 2012 and received substantial funding from the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise.
The building covers 9000m2 and contains state-of-the-art research facilities to pursue stem cell research and regenerative medicine as well as a ‘Good Manufacturing Practice’ cell therapy facility operated jointly by RoslinCT and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
The building was designed specifically to facilitate collaboration and promote interdisciplinary working between scientists and clinicians, essential in delivering effective treatments for patients. Many physical barriers have been removed between work areas and those that are required for health and safety have been constructed of glass to further enhance communication.
Laboratory buildings, and specifically the many electrical appliances in them, are usually extremely energy hungry. Sustainability and maximizing ways to reduce energy consumption were key in the design and construction of the building. For this reason, the plant has been located on a mezzanine level between the laboratory areas on the ground and first floors to maximise efficiencies within these heavily serviced spaces. Other features include daylight linking of light, heat recovery, rainwater harvesting, solar panels, and ground source heat pumps.
The building is based in the Edinburgh Bioquarter development at Little France. This location, combining the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, a large teaching and research hospital and major clinical trials hub, the University of Edinburgh’s world-renowned medical school and bespoke biomedical research and development facilities all on one site, provides a unique operating environment with substantial collaborative opportunities - both with academia and industry.
More
- Images of the building on our Flickr channel
- Images and video below of the official opening (May 2012)
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