Hospital Sector Contract Improves Facilities

Morris & Spottiswood’s laboratory division, ASSAB, has completed a £240k contract at Ninewells Hospital to construct a pioneering new translational medicines research centre for the University of Dundee.

The contract, which was won by competitive tender, was for the supply, delivery and installation of five floors of the hospital’s new core research laboratory dedicated solely to translational medicines.

The Translational Medicine Research Collaboration (TMRC) is a unique venture bringing together one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc) and Scotland’s leading medical research centres at universities in Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. They are jointly collaborating in the development of personalised medicine bringing new treatments to patients suffering from a range of serious illnesses. Translational medicine is a revolutionary approach to developing new drugs and treatments, focusing on new tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of human diseases. This new research laboratory will initially create 50 new jobs.

ASSAB’s business unit head, Jane Finnigan, said: “We constructed five new storeys, manufactured and supplied all the laboratory benching, sinks, cupboards, shelving. The peninsular bench units were highly specialised with three tier adjustable shelving above either side and a stainless steel sink at the end of the peninsular with integral splashback. The underbench cupboards were constructed to be mobile on castors for ease of movement around the laboratories.” She added, “It was a challenging project given the site’s topography which meant the new building had to be accessed from the existing sixth floor of the adjacent building which severely restricted our access for deliveries.

ASSAB worked alongside Glasgow architects, Boswell, Mitchell and Johnston. The companies have previously worked together on a number of contracts including the University of Glasgow Bower Building, the Cardiovascular and Biomedical Building, and the University of St Andrews. The main contractor was Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd.