Work starts on University research institute's £7m new home

Computer-generated image of what the new Institute of Mental Health will look like
10 May 2011 10:43:14.027
PA 152/11

Building work on a new £7 million home for a University of Nottingham-based research centre will be officially marked later this month with a ground-breaking ceremony.

The Institute of Mental Health, currently based within the Sir Colin Campbell Building on the University’s Jubilee Campus, will be moving 200 metres along Triumph Road to bespoke new accommodation on the campus.

Construction work on the four-storey building begins this month and it is planned that the Institute will occupy the new build from April 2012 onwards.
Click here for full story

Professor Nick Manning, Director of the Institute of Mental Health and Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at the University, said: “The Institute was only formed in 2006 and we can now be considered as the UK’s prime location for inter-disciplinary research in the mental health field. This planned move to purpose-built accommodation signifies the huge progress we have made during this time and will have many benefits going forwards based on bringing colleagues together who are currently located on several sites.”

The Institute of Mental Health is a partnership between The University of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. It seeks to help transform our understanding and treatment of mental illness through innovative research and pioneering educational activities.

Also moving into the new building will be the CLAHRC (Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care) for Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, Mental Health Research Network East Midlands Hub plus South Yorkshire, and the NHS East Midlands Leadership Academy.

The ground-breaking ceremony takes place on site on Wednesday May 25 and will be attended by representatives of the Institute, the University and Nottinghamshire Healthcare, partner organisations, and those involved in the new build.

Architects for the building, Benoy, have created a bold and sleek design which aims to harmonise with its nearest neighbours on the campus and reflect the colour palette of the striking red terracotta tile-clad exteriors of Make Architects’ Amenities Building and International House.

The Building contractors are G F Tomlinson Building Limited, who last year completed work on the University’s new Vaughan Parry Williams Sports Pavilion at Highfields Park in Nottingham.

Structural engineers on the project are Waldeck, while DH Squire will be acting as services engineers.

Professor Saul Tendler, University of Nottingham Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see construction beginning on the Institute of Mental Health’s new home on our Jubilee Campus. During our lifetime, one in four of us will face a mental health problem yet despite their prevalence illnesses of the mind are not as widely or openly discussed in our society as physical disease. The Institute has a vital role to play in transforming our understanding and treatment of mental illness and has found its natural home at the University, which is at the forefront of biomedical translational research, bringing more effective therapies to patients more quickly. The University of Nottingham is extremely proud to be continuing to support the Institute through our partnership with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.”

Professor Mike Cooke, CBE, Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare, said: “The Institute is leading mental health research both in this country and in Europe. We are delighted to have helped create this major success story for Nottinghamshire. This new building will bring all staff groups together and allow for future expansion; crucially PhD and post-doctoral staff. The Institute of Mental Health, CLAHRC-NDL, the MHRN and the NHS East Midlands Leadership Academy will all benefit from this co-location.”

— Ends —

Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions, which ranked Nottingham second in the world overall.

The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.

Story credits

More information is available from Emma Thorne, Media Relations Manager in the Communications Office at The University of Nottingham, on +44 (0)115 951 5793, emma.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk

Emma Thorne Emma Thorne - Media Relations Manager

Email: emma.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)115 951 5793 Location: University Park

Additional resources

An alternative view of how the Institute of Mental Health interior will look

An alternative view of the planned new Institute of Mental Health

 Interior view of the new Institute of Mental Health

Related articles

Hearing Voices through art

Published Date
Wednesday 3rd November 2010

Transforming mental healthcare through digital technology

Published Date
Tuesday 22nd October 2013

New centre sets out the future for mental health care

Published Date
Thursday 5th December 2013

Media Relations - External Relations

The University of Nottingham
YANG Fujia Building
Jubilee Campus
Wollaton Road
Nottingham, NG8 1BB

telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 5798
email: pressoffice@nottingham.ac.uk