Herts’ state-of-the-art Spectra named Southern Construction Framework Project of the Year
The University of Hertfordshire’s cutting-edge Spectra building has earned yet another prestigious accolade - Southern Construction Framework (SCF) Project of the Year - celebrating its excellence in design, innovation, and sustainability.
Home to the School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science (SPECS), the five-storey landmark is redefining future-ready educational spaces with its £2 million suite of wind tunnels, flight simulators that can land in any airport across the world, new robotics labs and a robot football pitch for developing and testing autonomous robot behaviour.
The award was presented by SCF, which connects public sector bodies across London and the south of England with high-quality construction partners.
The win follows two other significant awards last month, highlighting Spectra’s advanced learning and research capabilities.
Delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction through SCF, the building also has a range of high-spec facilities, including CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) learning environments, two dedicated physics laboratories, two isolated cyber systems rooms that allow cyber security students to test themselves against cyber-attacks, a strong floor to help test material strength
It also houses two Caterham lightweight sports cars and a Tesla, used in autonomous vehicle development.
Spectra, which opened for this academic year in September 2024, was designed with adaptability and longevity in mind. Its quadrant-based layout and resilient infrastructure support 24/7 research, seamless collaboration, and responsiveness to future educational and technological advancements.
The SCF award also recognised the project’s “one team” delivery approach - highlighting close collaboration between the University and Morgan Sindall from tender to completion.
Sustainability was central to the project’s ethos, with Spectra achieving BREEAM Excellent certification through a fabric-first approach, use of air source heat pumps, energy-efficient VRF systems, and 500 square metre of solar panels - resulting in emissions that outperform current targets by 35%.
The project also delivered social value impact, including local job creation, apprenticeships, outreach programmes, and charitable initiatives that support regional skills development.
Ian Grimes, Director of Estates at the University of Hertfordshire said:
“Spectra is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when innovation, sustainability and collaboration come together. This award is testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved – from our internal teams to our partners at Morgan Sindall – and to our commitment to providing world-class facilities that inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and technologists.”
Alex Nelhams, Senior Framework Manager at SCF, said:
'We are delighted to recognise the efforts of University of Hertfordshire and Morgan Sindall by awarding the SCF Project of the Year to the incredible Spectra Building.
“The landmark project exemplified all SCF strives to achieve: a collaborative ‘one team’ ethos with a transparent approach to problem solving to deliver an exemplar environment that is underpinned by sustainable delivery, with meaningful social value outcomes that will have a lasting benefit to the community.”
The University has recently launched its Clearing webpages, offering prospective students the chance to explore a wide range of courses in physics, engineering, and computer science subjects. Click to take a virtual tour and find out more about the industry-mirroring facilities and equipment available within the Spectra building.