Education
Twycross Zoo — National Science & Conservation Centre
Twycross, Leicestershire
Project overview
A major new conservation, research and education campus at Twycross Zoo, bringing together specialist learning facilities, scientific research, residential accommodation and new habitats for endangered species. Structural engineering involvement through RIBA Stage 3 formed part of the multidisciplinary design development of a complex campus combining conventional building structures with the specialist operational, animal-welfare and visitor requirements of a leading zoological conservation facility.
Originally developed as the National Science and Conservation Centre (NSCC), the £25m development is now being delivered as Twycross Zoo's Global Conservation Centre, supported by £18m of UK Government Levelling Up Fund investment. The campus brings together a range of distinct but interconnected facilities, including teaching and research accommodation, an approximately 200-seat lecture theatre, laboratory facilities, residential accommodation for visiting students and conservation specialists, and new world-class habitats for Bornean orangutans.
The structural strategy responded to a varied architectural and operational brief across multiple buildings, including long-span and multi-storey framed construction, specialist habitat buildings and interfaces between research, education, residential and zoological uses. Close multidisciplinary coordination was required to develop practical structural solutions around the architectural layouts, specialist operational requirements and the constraints associated with delivering a major development within an operational zoo environment.
Carl's involvement, undertaken during his time with Clancy Consulting Ltd, covered structural engineering design development through RIBA Stage 3 as part of the pre-construction design team. Following completion of the Stage 3 design, the project progressed into Design & Build delivery, with the contractor team responsible for adoption and development of the design from RIBA Stage 4 onwards.
Project highlights
- Structural engineering design development through RIBA Stage 3
- Multi-building conservation, research and education campus
- Framed structural solutions across teaching, research, residential and specialist habitat buildings
- Coordination of structural requirements with complex architectural and operational interfaces
- Integration of specialist zoological and animal-habitat requirements
- Design development for a major project within an operational visitor attraction
- Stage 3 design developed for subsequent Design & Build delivery
Project snapshot
- Sector
- Education
- Location
- Twycross, Leicestershire
- Stage
- RIBA Stage 3 design complete; currently under construction
- Employer at the time
- Clancy Consulting Ltd
- Carl's role
- Structural Engineering — RIBA Stage 3
- Client
- Twycross Zoo / Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
- Structural form
- Framed structures across teaching, research, lecture, residential and specialist habitat buildings.
- Engineering services / scope
- Structural engineering design development to RIBA Stage 3 within a multidisciplinary design team.
Engineering challenge
A multi-building campus where teaching, research, residential and specialist animal-habitat requirements had to be reconciled within a single structural strategy, developed inside an operational visitor attraction and handed on for Design & Build delivery beyond Stage 3.
Current delivery team
- Main contractor
- Henry Brothers Construction
- Architect
- HLM Architects
- Civil & structural engineer
- HEXA
- M&E
- Couch Perry Wilkes (CPW)
Current delivery team following completion of the earlier RIBA Stage 3 design phase.
Prior professional experience
Project experience gained by Carl Bebbington during his employment with Clancy Consulting Ltd, prior to the establishment of Bebbington Engineering Studio Ltd. Bebbington Engineering Studio Ltd is not, and is not presented as being, appointed on this project.
Gallery
Project visual and construction photographs supplied from prior professional project material.
Some representative imagery is reproduced from public project sources. Copyright remains with the respective photographer or rights holder. Please contact us regarding attribution or removal.
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