The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (Thursday 9 September) announced the 54 winners of the 2021 RIBA National Awards for architecture, which includes the Professor Lord Bhattacharyya building, home to NAIC (National Automotive Innovation Centre) at WMG, University of Warwick.

The awards, which have been presented since 1966, recognise the UK’s best new buildings and provide an insight into the UK’s design and economic trends. This year’s projects showcase the extraordinary breadth and brilliance of UK architecture today.

The Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya building, home to NAIC, has scooped up the National Royal Institute of British Architects award.

The NAIC is a partnership between WMG, University of Warwick, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Motors, and is the largest of its kind in Europe and is well timed, arriving when a global mobility revolution is underway, with a new age for transport mobility.

A beacon for automotive research it brings together the brightest minds from industry and academia, to develop future vehicles and mobility solutions. It is home to up to 1,000 staff working across design, engineering and research, as well as future engineers on degree programmes.

Designed by Cullinan Studios the brief for the Centre was for simplicity and strength of purpose, turning a complex assembly of spaces into an immediately legible building.

The NAIC is a £150m investment between WMG, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Motors with £29.5m funding from the UK government’s UK Research Partnership Investment Fund through Research England, which includes the development of an Advanced Propulsion Research Laboratory.

Margot James, Executive Chair of WMG, University of Warwick comments:
“I’m thrilled that the Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building has been recognised in this way, to win a National RIBA award is a great tribute to the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya’s vision. My warmest congratulations to Cullinan Studios who worked with our team to design a building that will inspire designers, engineers and academics to develop the next generation of transport. The Midlands is the centre of automotive in the UK, and the National Automotive Innovation Centre will be the driving force behind future innovation in mobility here in the Midlands.”

James Breckon, Director of Estates, at the University of Warwick, comments:
“It is great to see this new building being recognised and is testament to the wealth of architectural and engineering talent that was brought together to deliver this exemplary sustainable building. It brilliantly draws Industry and Academia together providing an inspirational environment to innovative within. As a landmark building it has transformed the campus at the University of Warwick and is a fitting legacy to the late Prof Lord Bhattacharyya.”

Speaking today, RIBA President Simon Allford said:

“Ranging from radical, cutting-edge new designs to clever, creative restorations that breathe new life into historic buildings, these projects illustrate the enduring importance and impact of British architecture.

“There are a good number of well-designed school and university buildings that are powerful investments in the future, and I am sure they will inspire young people, their teachers and communities. I am also thrilled to see many of these make creative use of existing structures. Well-designed education facilities should be the rule rather than the exception – every child deserves an effective learning environment, and these projects provide rich inspiration.

“Looking ahead, as we design the low carbon future, we must start by exploring the retention and reuse of existing buildings. And when a new building is essential, we need to make sure it will last and serve the future well – so it needs to be flexible and reusable. Long life; loose fit; low energy architecture is the present and the future. It is therefore very encouraging to see restoration and sensitive adaptation feature so prominently this year; with many buildings acknowledging their history, the needs of the present and the potential of their dynamic future.”

ENDS

9 SEPTEMBER 2021

NOTES TO EDITORS:

High-res images available at:

https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/october_2020/national_automotive_innovation_centre_university_of_warwick_-_photo_credit_nick_dimbleby_3.jpg
Caption: Exterior Shot of the Professor Lord Bhattacharyya Building at WMG, University of Warwick
Credit: Nick Dimbleby/WMG, University of Warwick

https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/junes_2021/inside_naic.jpg
Caption: Interior shot of the Professor Lord Bhattacharyya Building at WMG, University of Warwick
Credit: WMG, University of Warwick

https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/july_2021/professor_lord_bhattacharyya_sitting_outside_the_prof._lord_bhattcharyya_building.jpg
Caption: The Late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya with his building at WMG, University of Warwick
Credit: WMG, University of Warwick

For further information please contact:

Alice Scott
Media Relations Manager – Science
University of Warwick
Tel: +44 (0) 7920 531 221
E-mail: alice.j.scott@warwick.ac.uk

We’re extremely proud to congratulate our WMG alum Aman Surana on his Institution of Mechanical Engineers Certificate for the ‘Best Project’. Aman received this prestigious award as a recognition of his extensive contribution to project work throughout his course. The certificate is awarded each academic year on the recommendation of a university Head of Department for academic achievement.

Aman comments “I'm glad to have the extensive hours put in the project recognised and am thankful to all my team members who deserve this award equally for helping us achieve the various targets throughout the year. A big thanks to all the project supervisors I've had over the years, for passing on their years of knowledge and experience; while also constantly motivating and pushing me to strive for success.”

Aman is fondly remembered at WMG for leading the Warwick Moto project as Chief Engineer. Warwick Moto is the University's newest student-led project which aims to design, build and race the University's first fully-electric race-spec superbike.

Conceptualised in March 2019 by a group of ambitious and passionate engineering students; the team’s goal was to take a vehicle from design-to-track in 15 months. The project was started to not only fuel the enthusiasm of the founding team but to also provide an opportunity for students from across the University to expand their knowledge and understanding of an industrial project, with deliverables and tight deadlines.

During his time with WMG, Aman was tasked with describing himself in three words. “Married to work” was his response, a mantra he’s clearly remaining loyal to, and it’s paying dividends. Congratulations Aman!

The Royal Academy of Engineering and WMG, at the University of Warwick, have shortlisted 11 exceptional collaborations for the inaugural Bhattacharyya Award. With a cash prize of £25,000, the Bhattacharyya Award will be presented to the team who best demonstrate how industry and universities can work together. Winners will be announced on 16 September 2021.

The Bhattacharyya Award is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and was announced in July 2019 as a tribute to Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya KT CBE FREng FRS, the Regius Professor of Manufacturing at the University of Warwick and founder of WMG.

Starting his career as a graduate apprentice at Lucas Industries, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya became Britain's first ever Professor of Manufacturing. Having seen first-hand how slowly academic advances were translated into real business and social change, he founded WMG in 1980 to help business innovate and help university researchers change our lives. Academic excellence with industrial relevance has always been at the heart of WMG, and today, it is one of the world’s top applied research centres, with a reputation for academic excellence and business results spanning the globe.

The shortlist features collaborations that address some of the most pressing national and global challenges, from cybersecurity and medical simulation to powering the aircraft of the future.

The full shortlist is as follows:

• Imperial College London and Shell
• Loughborough University and Rolls Royce
• Queen's University Belfast and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies
• Swansea University and the Steel Strategic Alliance
• The University of Manchester and BP
• University of Bath and the Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems
• University of Cambridge and the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction
• University of Leeds and Simulation Solutions Ltd
• University of Sheffield and Siemens
• University of Surrey and the 5G Innovation Centre
• University of York and the High Integrity Systems Engineering group

Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: "We are extremely proud to be funding the Bhattacharyya Award, which encourages collaboration between our fantastic universities and businesses. By working hand-in-hand, academic advances can be quickly translated to industry, bringing forward game-changing innovations and helping us to build back better from the pandemic."

Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE FREng FRS, immediate past-President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, is chair of the judging panel for the Bhattacharyya Award. She said: “Lord Bhattacharyya was a strong advocate of an effective industrial strategy, seeking a revitalisation of skills policy, a growth in apprenticeships, a focus on the impact of research and training and technology partnerships between industry and universities. We received some fantastic entries that showcase best practice in developing effective collaborations between universities and industry – we hope that these will inspire productive new partnerships in the future.”

Margot James, Executive Chair at WMG, University of Warwick said “The Bhattacharyya Award amplifies the approach Professor Lord Bhattacharyya took in transforming how universities research and educate to meet the needs of industry and society. Supporting genuine collaboration to create relevant and impactful research and enabling education programmes that nurture the brightest talent. The shortlist exemplifies the very best of university/ industry collaboration. We look forward to seeing which collaboration is selected as the overall winner.”

The winner of the Bhattacharyya Award will be announced on Thursday 16 September 2021. Those wishing to attend can register via the Academy’s website here.

The National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), situated in the Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building at the University of Warwick, has been shortlisted in the ‘Workplace’ category of the 2021 AJ Architecture Awards.

Recognising excellence in UK architecture, these highly coveted awards are unique to the market, with the winners published in a special edition of the Architects' Journal. The Workplace category is defined as ‘new-build refurbished architectural projects for workplaces completed between January 2019 and July 2021.’

To qualify for the category, the workplace in question must exceed 10,000m², an entry requirement the Centre comfortably eclipses with its 33,000m² of space for engineers, designers and academics to enjoy.

The Centre was officially opened in February 2020 by HRH The Prince of Wales. A partnership between WMG, University of Warwick, Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors, the Centre is the largest of its kind in Europe. Its unveiling was well-timed too, arriving during a global mobility revolution, a new age for transport mobility.

The Centre is driving the future of the automotive industry from the heart of the United Kingdom. A beacon for automotive research, it brings together the brightest minds from industry and academia, to develop future vehicles and mobility solutions.

Designed by Cullinan Studios, the brief for the Centre was for simplicity and strength of purpose, turning a complex assembly of spaces into an immediately legible building.

The AJ Architecture Awards winners will be revealed during a celebratory event on 17 November 2021 at the Grosvenor House, London.

Many congratulations to WMG’s Professor Margaret Low as she receives an MBE for her services to public engagement and widening participation.

Margaret joined WMG back in 1988, and for many years she has made it her mission to inspire young people from all backgrounds in STEM subjects and into higher education.

She has dedicated her time to develop innovative outreach activities for young people - connecting the local community with academia and promoting STEM in an engaging way.

Professor Margaret Low said: “It’s lovely, if a little overwhelming and totally unexpected, to be recognised in this way. Everything I’ve achieved has been in collaboration with fantastic colleagues and friends at WMG and across the University. None of this would have been possible without their hard work and dedication.

“I’ve also had the good fortune to work with some brilliant students through Warwick Volunteers who’ve been instrumental in bringing outreach activities into schools.”

About Professor Low

Working with Warwick Volunteers, she collaborates with University of Warwick students to run Scratch workshops in local primary and secondary schools reaching more than 250 children each year through the Technology Volunteers project.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Margaret and her team also developed invaluable resources to help support home-schooling.

In 2016 Margaret was awarded an HEA National Teaching Fellowship. The Fellowships recognise and celebrate the absolute highest standards of learning and teaching across higher education.

More than a decade ago she pioneered the use of Scratch in the UK, a user-friendly programming tool, for outreach work in schools.