Dundee innovation hub reinvents the wheel
December 6 2023
An innovation hub has opened its doors in Dundee to help heal wounds left by the closure of a Michelin tyre factory in 2020.
Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, has seen the manufacturer team up with Scottish Enterprise and Dundee City Council as a hub for budding entrepreneurs to test ideas and inventions.
Open to all the fully accessible space has been designed by Holmes Miller to offer accommodation for small companies, researchers and students engaged in the development of zero-carbon solutions. Built offsite and erected in a mere three weeks the £4.75m glulam and cross-laminated timber structure attains an air-tightness value of 1.87 ach/hr@50Pa.
Guillem Arraez, project architect at Holmes Miller, commented: “One of the best design decisions made on the project was the use of an exposed mass timber frame – a combination of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and Glulam structure. We tried to create an honest building that has the confidence to show you its inner workings, rather than trying to cover things up.
“We left the glulam structure, CLT panels and even the junctions exposed internally. The high-quality finish of the timber means it still looks attractive, and visitors can see how the building was put together - rather like a giant Lego set.”
Wrapped in sinusoidal for an industrial aesthetic the interior emphasises warmth and colour through an exposed timber frame, bright furniture and signage. Housing an events space, a social area and workspaces the hub is built around a Hellerup staircase to encourage collaboration and sharing.
The project team includes Robertson Construction Tayside, Goodson Associates, Hardies and Atelier 10.
A Hellerup Stair serves as the social heart of the innovation hub
Colourful signage and furniture emphasises openness
Photography provided courtesy of Chris Humphreys
The choice of timber instead of structural steel saved 650 tonnes of carbon dioxide
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