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| Mott MacDonald celebrates MCJC success Mott MacDonald's project team responsible for the engineering design of the award-winning £113 million Manchester Civil Justice Centre (MCJC) is celebrating further success after the building won Project of the Year 2008 at the prestigious Building Awards, organised by the established industry magazine, Building. Home to the region's Department for Constitutional Affairs, the MCJC is the biggest court complex to be built in the UK since the Royal Courts of Justice in London. It comprises 47 court rooms, tribunal and hearing rooms plus offices and amenities for judges in a landmark 16-storey facility. The project was recognised as an exemplar of design for a public building, which had environmental sustainability high on the agenda. Key features of the striking complex include an innovative natural ventilation system supported by intelligent building systems, an 'environmental veil' to control solar gain, groundwater cooling to reduce energy consumption, and an anti-vibration beam to minimise floor vibrations. It also boasts a spectacular 63m by 60m cavity glass wall along the western edge of its 11-storey atrium. Judges from the Building Awards commented that MCJC has "demonstrated how architect, engineer, suppliers and contractors can work together to create a building that is both striking and popular". The award is another success for the building which recently scooped a top prize at the Institution of Structural Engineers' (IStructE) North West regional awards. This saw the MCJC honoured with the Award for Large Projects, which recognises outstanding achievement in the structural design of major new buildings in the North West of England. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Construction News :: home page |