The Ray Dolby Centre in Cambridge West won in the Best New Building (over £3m construction value) category.
It also came highly commended for engineering-led design in the David Mackay Award for Engineering and Sustainability.
Judges said about the Ray Dolby Centre: “This, the third Cavendish laboratory, is a stunning addition to the [Cambridge West Innovation District], not only aesthetically with its polished white concrete exterior, not only symbolically with its welcoming approach to public access to large parts of the building, but also as an exemplar of function-led design, embracing and meeting the highly demanding needs of the research and teaching community, from ‘clean (filtered air) rooms’ to areas of nil vibration, to the specific research and experimental requirements of microscopy, optics and semi-conductors to name but a few. It’s all electric and deliberately adaptable to meet future needs. We loved the airy interior with its displays of ‘Old Cavendish’ memorabilia, its copper ceilings and the chatter of visitors.
“This project successfully addressed the challenging brief for specialist research facilities, with the design informed and supported by its exacting users, and requiring both contemporary and potential future needs to be anticipated. As a result it will be both long-lived, adaptable and with high environmental performance through its operating life.”