Over 250 academics and students at Cambridge University’s new futuristic £14m research facility have a tough, long-lasting roof over their heads, thanks to MAC (Mastic Asphalt Council) contractor Cambridge Asphalte.The traditional roofing solution was chosen to top off the centre’s innovative and ultramodern design, as only the best in British Standard roofing grade mastic asphalt could offer the maximum longevity and minimal maintenance required.
Awarded the contract by Rushden-based Marriott Construction, a regional arm of the Kier Group plc, the Cambridge team installed the mastic asphalt system to an inverted roof situation on a concrete substrate, comprising an area of around 1,500 m2. The contract, worth £90k, was completed in just five weeks.
A traditional solution for such a cutting-edge structure, mastic asphalt provides the ultimate protective material and is capable of out-performing and outlasting all other comparable materials.
Designed by London-based architects TP Bennett, the University’s striking new building provides 4,800 sq m of research and laboratory space and will house a broad spectrum of electronic expertise - strengthening Cambridge’s position as the world’s leading centre for scientific teaching and research.
Situated on the University’s West Cambridge site, its aim is to enable different research groups to work under one roof, covering the entire field of electrical engineering from materials and components to systems and products.
