Building complex academic facilities: six principles for success

Academic buildings present unique challenges. They must accommodate cutting-edge research, support diverse teaching activities, and integrate seamlessly into operational campuses while meeting ambitious sustainability targets. Drawing from our experience delivering complex projects across the higher education sector and beyond, we have identified six principles that consistently drive success. 

1. Collaboration as a cornerstone 

The most successful projects are built on genuine collaboration where support flows both ways. We have helped clients develop early access strategies that transformed their fit-out programmes, whilst clients have provided flexibility when construction challenges have risen. 

On our projects, we establish weekly risk sessions where problems are solved collectively. For example, with UCL Marshgate, we fostered a ‘no-blame’ culture that encouraged honest dialogue. When issues arose, the focus was on collective problem-solving rather than assigning fault. This reciprocal and collaborative approach builds the resilience needed when projects face unexpected pressures. 

2. Understanding and engaging end users 

Academics and researchers are experts in their fields, not construction. They care about outcomes rather than processes. The spaces they will occupy matter profoundly to their work, yet interpreting two-dimensional drawings or understanding construction sequences holds little interest for most. 

The cost of misunderstanding user needs is significant. When someone walks into a completed laboratory and says "I didn't realise it would be that small" or "I wanted that equipment there", remediation costs far exceed proper investment in early engagement. 

We use Building Information Modelling and immersive visualisation tools to bring spaces to life before construction begins. Virtual environments allow end users to understand spatial relationships, test equipment layouts, and make informed decisions about finishes without requiring construction knowledge. For specialist spaces like laboratories, where equipment positioning directly impacts research effectiveness, this step is essential. This proved valuable when helping to deliver the Harwell Satellite Testing Facility (HSTF) project at Harwell. 

Beyond technology, we establish specialist user groups and maintain continuous dialogue throughout design development. Engaging, listening, and feeding requirements back to end users in ways they can understand prevents expensive late-stage changes and ensures spaces genuinely work for their intended purpose. 

3. Scaling up from virtual to physical 

Once end users have experienced their spaces virtually, the next critical step is proving that materials and finishes work in reality. Do things look and feel as expected? Are materials fit for purpose? How do different elements work together at full scale? 

We use a progressive approach we term 'scaling up', building increasingly sophisticated representations from samples to full-size mock-ups. This reveals issues invisible in virtual environments: how natural light affects finishes, whether material combinations create the intended atmosphere, and how construction details perform at human scale. This was carried out at Belgrove House, where a full-scale model of parts of the building where created to understand how things would work together.  

Early investment in mock-ups often meets cost resistance, yet they consistently prevent expensive problems. End users can sign off critical elements with confidence, trade contractors test their sequences, and the supply chain understands the required quality standard. This prevents the costly scenario of post-completion changes when someone walks into a completed room and requests fundamental alterations. 

4. Managing operational campus complexity 

Universities cannot pause their core mission to accommodate construction. Students must attend lectures, researchers must access laboratories, and critical academic work must continue throughout building programmes. Construction sites must therefore integrate into operational campuses rather than dominate them. 

Success starts with comprehensive stakeholder mapping extending far beyond the immediate client team: adjacent building occupants, neighbouring residential developments sharing access routes, transport authorities managing nearby infrastructure, and the wider campus community. On constrained urban sites, we have coordinated with underground rail operators on vibration-sensitive works, engaged with residential developments to manage shared traffic routes, and established protocols with academic departments whose research could be disrupted. 

Meticulous advanced planning is essential. Works must be sequenced to minimise disruption, with particular attention to examination periods, sensitive research activities, and peak campus usage times. Logistics strategies must account for pedestrian safety, continued access to operational buildings, and the movement of materials through shared routes. 

Communication underpins everything. Regular updates, clear signage, responding to concerns, and transparent look-ahead programmes demonstrate respect and build goodwill. The best infrastructure teams become part of the campus, understanding its rhythms and adapting activities accordingly. 

5. Building resilient supply chains 

The strength of a project's supply chain directly determines its success. Our approach prioritises proven performance over lowest cost. We engage sub-contractors with demonstrated track records on similar projects, strong balance sheets that provide financial stability, and quality standards that match our own. 

Transparency with clients about supply chain selection builds confidence. By sharing our procurement strategies early and explaining our rationale for partner selection, we help clients understand the value proposition. The current economic environment makes supply chain resilience even more critical, and our due diligence processes rigorously assess financial stability to protect against contractor insolvencies that could derail programmes. 

6. Learning across sectors 

While every project is unique, the principles of successful delivery transcend sector boundaries. We actively seek lessons from across our business, applying innovations from one sector to challenges in another. 

Teams visit other Mace projects to observe different approaches to logistics, collaboration models, or construction techniques. This cross-pollination of ideas ensures we bring the full breadth of our organisational experience to every client. From constrained city centre sites that inform campus logistics, or engagement strategies proven in healthcare, these lessons can all translate to academic environments. 

Delivering lasting value 

Clear communication is the golden thread connecting all these principles. Whether coordinating complex logistics, managing stakeholder expectations, or responding to unforeseen challenges, open dialogue proves essential. 

Complex academic buildings represent significant institutional investment and multi-generational impact. By embedding collaboration in project culture, engaging meaningfully with communities who care about outcomes rather than processes, managing operational complexity with sensitivity, and building resilient partnerships, we create environments that enable learning and discovery for generations to come.