University's £32m building wins urban design award

The Lab at Peterborough's recently opened university has been recognised for its versatility

A new £32m university building has beaten competition from five other developments to win a national award for its impact on a city.

The Lab, which is part of Anglia Ruskin University's (ARU) site in Peterborough, was named as the best building in the urban life-focused Pineapples awards.

The Lab opened in November, two years after the university began welcoming students in the city in 2022.

"It is inspiring to see a regional team building something from scratch which inspires its local community," said the judges.

The Pineapples were launched in 2019 by The Developer, a media and urban living design organisation, and the Design Council, to recognise the positive effect buildings have on places and people.

Cambridge-based MCW Architects, which designed the building, and ARU Peterborough staff received the award

Professor Ross Renton, the principal of ARU Peterborough, said the university was created to serve the city's needs and the award showed it was on the "right track".

The building, which was finished in August, features a microbiology lab, a tissue culture lab, engineering workshops, teaching spaces and the Living Lab - a space designed to host exhibits, talks and events.

"It is a real beacon for its place-making and wider social impact," the judges added.

"What really lifted it above the other projects was this impact, which highlights the civic role that a university can have.

"The public spaces created are really versatile and adaptable for different uses," they said.

Other contenders in the category included a 50-storey tower block in the City of London and University College London's development at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London.