The place for Engineering and Materials

Welcome to the home of Engineering and Materials at The University of Manchester. It is a place like no other where engineers, material scientists and fashion students collaborate, innovate, and make their mark on the world.

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The Nancy Rothwell Building and Engineering Building B sit alongside Oddfellows Hall, James Chadwick Building and York Street Building to form this new development. Unrivalled in scale as a hub of engineering and materials expertise here in the UK, our home combines Manchester's industrial heritage with new, purpose-built facilities, perfect for discovery and solving some of the world's most pressing issues.

Within the new home of Engineering and Materials are five Departments. The ethos here is collaboration and the facilities are geared to unite people from different areas with different expertise to work on real-world solutions to take on some of the challenges we face globally. Our Departments are listed below with links to their websites with more information about what they do and the impact of their research:

Take a look inside

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  Department of Chemical Engineering

  Chemical engineering concerns the science and technology related to manufacturing products from raw materials in a safe, sustainable, environmentally benign and cost-effective way. As the birthplace of chemical engineering, today we're the UK's largest chemical engineering department.

  Visit the Department of Chemical Engineering website

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  Department of Civil Engineering and Management

  Guided by forward thinking research in all aspects of Civil Engineering, including new materials, renewable energy, and sustainable design, our future graduates will have the skills to take on crucial roles in shaping new infrastructure and the environment which addresses climate and societal challenges. With the UK’s first teaching and research groups being established here in the 1960s, we have always been at the forefront of advances in Engineering and Project Management as both academic and professional disciplines.

  Visit the Department of Civil Engineering and Management website

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  Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

  We've been educating electrical, electronic and mechatronic engineers for more than a century. With strong industry links to global companies, our hands-on courses provide an excellent base for a career in engineering, as well as opportunities for our researchers to strengthen their portfolio.

  Visit the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering website

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  Department of Materials

  Material scientists are shaping our world. We offer a true understanding of the science behind the fashion, in practical subjects that meet the needs of an ever-changing world.

  Visit the Department of Materials website

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  Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

  Building on a 200-year legacy tied to the Manchester Mechanics Institute and numerous trailblazers in aerospace, The University of Manchester continues to offer unparalleled educational experiences in both Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Our courses cultivate highly employable graduates, while our fantastic facilities and world-leading research helps us to confront the key engineering challenges of our age.

  Visit the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering website

Study your way

Inside the Nancy Rothwell Building and Engineering Building B you'll find hundreds of flexible teaching and learning spaces - whether your interests are in aerospace or AI, or if you want to tackle climate change or clean water... the possibilities are endless.

Embrace the cinema-style, traditional lecture theatres or take in the unique setting of the Blended Lecture Theatres - unlike anything else you'll see in Higher Education in the UK. Theory and practical come together with an adaptable teaching space situated next to a laboratory.

There are even more dedicated teaching spaces including workshop space, other laboratories and a range of study space that accommodates individual and group study. Book a meeting room or grab a booth, you'll also find places to eat and drink.

Take a look inside

Welcome to the home of Engineering and Materials at the University of Manchester.

One of the largest higher education construction projects completed in the UK.

Say hello to the future of teaching and learning in our blended lecture theatre.

Commitment to research

With our world leading research facilities, our staff and students have access to the tools to enable them to change the world. In total, there are over 250 laboratory spaces covering research and teaching, covering 19,000m2.

We've some unique spaces unrivalled in scale and scope. For example, the High Voltage Laboratories are set in purpose built facilities housed in the York Street Building. The research conducted here is designed to ensure the reliable and sustainable supply of energy, while also meeting the desire for reduced environmental impact.

This is the place that is home to a unique combination of research facilities. It's the place where opportunities are to be found and where interdisciplinarity thrives. Some of these unique spaces include:

• Flight simulator
• Power conversion
• Weaving and knitting
• Engines laboratory
• Microscopy
• Additive Manufacturing
• Anechoic Chamber
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
• Garment studio
• Colouration plus many more

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From concept to construction

Our vision was clear - create a collaborative space, uniting our 8,000 strong community in one place. A nine-year design and construction project saw us partner with architects, designers, engineers and contractors from all over the world, to create state-of-the-art facilities. Throughout the development of this uniquely collaborative space, both students and colleagues influenced the look and feel of teaching and study space, as well as testing new workspace approaches to enhance opportunities for connection and inter-disciplinary collaboration.

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Home for creation and collaboration for all

Workspace throughout the new home of Engineering and Materials is truly flexible and designed with equality across the community using these spaces at its core. Designed with a diverse range of facilities types, the workspace recognises and provides for different ways of working. This includes:

• Bookable meeting rooms and informal meeting areas across each floor for in-person and virtual meetings and larger team meetings.
• Designated quiet working spaces, including enclosed call pods, for confidential or sensitive virtual meetings.
• Vibrant social spaces to take a break and get away from your desk, eat lunch and socialise.
• At least three kitchenettes on each floor.
• Active travel hub and shower facilities with drying room.
• Welfare and first aid rooms available for a range of different needs.

Places to eat and drink

Cafes

Breakfast on the go or lunch to keep you going, our cafes have you covered. Grab sandwiches, paninis, sushi and salads or pick up a warming soup. Fresh pastries available each day as well as muffins and sweet treats to accompany the range of Fairtrade hot drinks.

Restaurants

Beehive restaurant is the new, modern eatery located in the Grade II listed Oddfellows Hall. Offering a fresh, seasonally changing chef-led menu, Beehive restaurants inspiration comes from local, seasonal, Manchester centred produce. These include a selection of fresh homemade meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and small plates.

Opening hours are 8:00am - 4:00pm, with food served between 08:00am and 3:00pm.

Bring and Ping

The name gives it away - bring your food and ping it in the microwaves found on the ground floor in the Nancy Rothwell Building. There's also instant hot water taps for hot drinks and food too.