The official opening of the new Laura Annie Willson Building

The Laura Annie Willson Building, formerly known as the Technology Building, has undergone an £8 million renovation to create a new flagship research space for the School of Computing and Engineering

THE sun shone as a striking new flagship research space named after a local and renowned female engineer was officially opened at the University of Huddersfield.

The Laura Annie Willson Building, formerly known as the Technology Building, has undergone an £8 million renovation and will house the School of Computing and Engineering.  Laura Annie’s granddaughter Joanna Stoddart, accompanied by her husband John, attended the event, and said she was extremely honoured to have such an amazing building named after her grandmother.

Laura Annie Willson MBE

Laura Annie Willson MBE was born in 1877 in nearby Halifax. As one of the founding members of the Women’s Engineering Society, the first female member of the Federation of House Builders, and a founding member of the Electrical Association for Women, Laura was indeed a trailblazing engineer. 

As a member of the local Women’s Social and Political Union and branch secretary of the Women’s Labour League, Laura was one of the first two women in Yorkshire to be imprisoned for her political beliefs as a suffragette. 

Laura’s political endeavours led to many people’s lives changing for the better.  This was also the case with her work as an engineer, which included the construction of 72 houses for workers in Halifax, setting up canteens for working women, and developing housing estates that had the latest gas and electrical appliances installed. 

State-of-the-art facilities

The 29,600 sq ft scheme now provides a brand new state-of-the-art location for scientists and engineers researching topics as diverse as digital manufacturing, virtual reality, internet of things (IoT), digital forensics, fluid sciences, and electric vehicles. 

It also includes an innovative “Smart House” – a two-storey domestic dwelling inside a laboratory in which research and development work is already taking place on a range of 21st-century topics such as smart energy technologies; domestic environmental monitoring; new interfaces for home entertainment systems; and robotics for assisted living. 

“We pride ourselves on high-impact research here at the University of Huddersfield,” said the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan. 

“The glass wall that stretches the entire length of the building provides a perfect showcase for this and gives a clear view inside the building’s new specialised laboratories and the innovative research being carried out.”

Dean of the School of Computing and Engineering Professor Stephen Donnelly expressed his thanks to Darren Sugden who has overseen the renovation from the University’s perspective. 

Professor Donnelly also honoured the memory of Paul Turner who was the Estates and Facilities Project Manager that led the refurbishment project from conception but then sadly passed away in April prior to the building’s completion. 

“He was the driving force behind the design and construction project, and I know he was extremely proud to have spearheaded this renovation,” he said. 

“His excellent foresight and hard work ensured the project overcame the obstacles of rising costs in energy and construction, alongside the difficulties created by Brexit and of course, the obvious impacts of Covid 19. 

“We are all deeply saddened that Paul can’t be with us today to see this amazing refurbishment come to fruition. Our thoughts are with his family and friends,” he added. 

Reducing the University's carbon footprint

The project has ensured the building’s longevity, as well as easing maintenance constraints and has ensured the new infrastructure is modern and energy efficient. 

An integral part of this was the installation of 485 solar panels on the roof of the new building as part of the University’s strong commitment to achieving Carbon Neutral status by 2030. 

The photo voltaic panels will generate an anticipated 150,000-kilowatt hours per year while addressing another key aim in reducing conventional energy consumption from the National Grid. 

Over the course of its life, the building has been adapted, remodelled, and altered a myriad of times to serve the ever-changing purposes of industry, education and latterly university research. 

“Due to the excellent work of our architects, AHR, this building with its striking façade is a fantastic addition to the University’s campus, which I honestly believe is one of the most attractive campuses of any town-based University,” said Professor Donnelly. 

Since 2018, £80 million has been spent on campus development, to ensure the University’s students have access to some of the best facilities in the country. 

“I have absolutely no doubt that this building with its state-of-the-art facilities will provide the perfect base for expanding our programme of research and collaboration,” he concluded. 

Following the official opening, visitors were shown around the building and the new facilities.  

An exhibition on Laura Annie Willson was also on display courtesy of Tim and Anne Kirker from the Calderdale Industrial Museum.