UK Research & Innovation began construction in June of 2022 on the £93 million National Quantum Computing Centre in Harwell in the United Kingdom. Located on the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Campus in Oxfordshire, the 50,000-sf innovation hub will provide dry labs, collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, and offices where multidisciplinary teams will design, build, and operate quantum computers. Academic and industry researchers will work side-by-side to explore a variety of quantum computing models in order to accelerate the scale-up of commercially viable technologies.
Designed by Hawkins/Brown with Wates as construction manager, the highly sustainable development will integrate a cross-laminated timber frame to minimize the structure's embodied carbon. Building components including plant room skids and internal riser and corridor modules will be prefabricated offsite at Wates' PRISM manufacturing facility in Coventry. Targeting BREEAM Excellent certification, the National Quantum Computing Centre is being delivered in partnership with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Ground was broken in September of 2021 on the project, which has a construction contract value of £31.5 million. Occupancy is expected in the third quarter of 2023.
