Construction World December 2023

is considered one of the top biomedical research facilities on the African continent, and houses leading South African researchers and students who are investigating diseases that have the greatest impact on South Africa and the rest of Africa. The ultimate aim of the advanced research done in this building is to improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of illnesses such as tuberculosis, HIV, diabetes, heart disease and neurological disorders. The BMRI is also one of the country’s greenest buildings of its kind to have been completed over the course of the past two years, with a Green Building Council 4 star rating by design. With sustainability at the heart of its design, the BMRI’s energy and water systems, material selection, emissions, waste management and use of natural light all contribute to our efforts to meet net zero targets. With a price tag of R1,2b, the BMRI is the largest single infrastructural investment in biomedical research in Africa and allows for the immediate expansion of the faculty’s current research activities as well as the strengthening of research and teaching capacity in the fields of inter alia, bioinformatics, genomics, anatomy, neurobiology, advanced surgical sciences and biobanking. Apart from a range of research laboratories, the BMRI is also host to a bioinformatics hub, electron microscopy labs, proteomics and FACS labs, a Medical Morphology Learning Centre, a biorepository, the Sunskill lab and our Clinical Research Unit. The building was designed according to the client needs and involved an extensive years-long process of engagement and interaction between the architects, laboratory infrastructure consultants, the researchers and faculty management, to deliver a product which is tailor-made for biomedical science in the post-digital age. 

Morphological Learning Centre, Cafeteria and the Atrium that links the complex together. The project also incorporates an atrium Bridge walkway and raised garden to establish a link between the existing, refurbished, and new. The architecture of the BMRI is characterised by seamless integration of form and function. The building's exterior features a blend of modernist and contemporary design elements, with clean lines, expansive glass facades, and a harmonious combination of concrete, steel, and glass. This design choice not only imparts a sense of transparency and openness but also allows for ample natural light, creating a welcoming and inspiring environment for researchers and visitors alike. Internally, the BMRI is designed to optimise collaboration and interdisciplinary research. The layout is organised around open-concept workspaces, communal areas, and flexible laboratories, facilitating the exchange of ideas and fostering a sense of community among researchers. The incorporation of adaptable spaces allows for easy reconfiguration as research needs evolve over time, promoting versatility and efficiency within the facility. Complex process driven architecture can be seen as the human facing building avatar or shell that meaningfully hides the critical building services. The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of Stellenbosch University has, as one of Africa’s top medical and health sciences institutions, an immense responsibility to lead the endeavour to ensure healthy lives and wellbeing for all, inter alia through high-level biomedical research. The Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) which was completed this year on the Tygerberg Campus of Stellenbosch University, is a world class, future-focused research complex that, in many ways, exceeds the best the world has to offer. This building, designed by Roelof Rabe Architects,

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22 nd Best Projects Awards 2023