Within the research laboratory on the Western University Campus, its science teams are developing cutting-edge composite materials. The result of this research – new materials that will be used in everything from automobiles to aviation.

The design of the facility, including its layout, mechanical and electrical systems, was carefully tailored to support its specialized and unique research.

We worked with the university to design the technical and demanding facility. The specialized equipment within is only the second of its kind in the world. The University partnered with the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, a German research company. Fruanhofer’s German facility is home to the first composite research centre.

For the University, it is an exciting addition Western’s Advanced Manufacturing Park. It is a secondary campus on a greenfield site. The vision is to harness the collaborative power of Fanshawe College, Western University and the City of London.

As part of our work on the Site Plan, we developed around existing roads, future roads, two planned expansions and we incorporated landscaping and stormwater management. We considered heavy vehicular usage. As site access points lead to a drive-through delivery bay through the building, we accommodated an overhead crane connection and truck turning radii. We incorporated security screens and fencing around the hazardous materials building and windows. Glazing and secure entry were critical, given the proprietary machinery and research equipment.