Greater Cambridge Design and Construction Awards 2026

The Ray Dolby Centre at the Cavendish Laboratory won Best Building over £3m Construction Value at the Greater Cambridge Design and Construction Awards 2026, and picked up a High Commendation for the David Mackay Award for Engineering and Sustainability.

The Cavendish Laboratory has been the setting for some of the most significant scientific discoveries in history. With 36 Nobel Laureates among its alumni, it is where JJ Thomson discovered the electron, Rutherford split the atom, and Crick and Watson decoded the structure of DNA. Getting the opportunity to design its new home was a huge privilege, and has been a truly team effort over the past decade and it is so rewarding to see the building being used as it was designed.

The facility spans 32,900m² and brings together 173 research laboratories alongside teaching, collaboration and community spaces. We wanted the building to feel genuinely open, a place where the science happening inside could be seen and celebrated, and where the next generation of researchers might find their spark.

Sustainability shaped the project from the very beginning. The building holds BREEAM Excellent certification and shares a ground source heat pump system with the neighbouring West Hub building for its heating and cooling, and offices are naturally ventilated. Sustainable transport was high on the agenda with the addition of 710 new cycle parking spaces. It was also designed with a “long life loose fit” approach, meaning it can adapt as research needs change, rather than becoming obsolete. That feels like the right way to build.

The commendation for the David Mackay Award for Engineering and Sustainability means a lot to us, and we are glad it was recognised alongside everything else this project has achieved.

Thank you to the University of Cambridge and to everyone across the project team who made this building what it is and contributed the worthy recognition it has achieved.