A new flagship research facility named after a local and renowned female engineer was officially opened at the University of Huddersfield last week.

The Laura Annie Willson Building, formerly known as the Technology Building, has undergone an £8 million renovation and will house the School of Computing and Engineering. Laura Annie’s granddaughter Joanna Stoddart attended the event, and said she was extremely honoured to have such an amazing building named after her grandmother.

Laura Annie Willson was born in 1877 in nearby Halifax. As one of the founding members of the Women’s Engineering Society, the first female member of the Federation of House Builders, and a founding member of the Electrical Association for Women, Laura was indeed a trailblazing engineer.

As a member of the local Women’s Social and Political Union and branch secretary of the Women’s Labour League, Laura was one of the first two women in Yorkshire to be imprisoned for her political beliefs as a suffragette.

However, Laura’s political endeavours led to many people’s lives changing for the better. This was also the case with her work as an engineer, which included the construction of 72 houses for workers in Halifax, setting up canteens for working women, and developing housing estates that had the latest gas and electrical appliances installed.

The 29,600ft² scheme now provides a brand new ‘state of the art’ location for scientists and engineers researching topics as diverse as digital manufacturing, virtual reality, internet of things (IoT), digital forensics, fluid sciences, and electric vehicles (EVs).

It also includes an innovative ‘Smart House’ – a two-storey domestic dwelling inside a laboratory in which R&D is already taking place on a range of 21st-century topics such as smart energy technologies; domestic environmental monitoring; new interfaces for home entertainment systems; and robotics for assisted living.

High-impact research
The university’s vice-chancellor Professor Bob Cryan said: “We pride ourselves on high-impact research here at the University of Huddersfield. The glass wall that stretches the entire length of the building provides a perfect showcase for this and gives a clear view inside the building’s new specialised laboratories and the innovative research being carried out.”

The project has ensured the building’s longevity, as well as easing maintenance constraints and has ensured the new infrastructure is modern and energy efficient. An integral part of this was the installation of 485 solar panels on the roof of the new building as part of the university’s strong commitment to achieving carbon neutral status by 2030.

The photo-voltaic panels will generate an anticipated 150,000kW/h per year while addressing another key aim in reducing conventional energy consumption from the National Grid. Over the course of its life, the building has been adapted, remodelled, and altered a myriad of times to serve the ever-changing purposes of industry, education and latterly university research.

Dean of the School of Computing and Engineering Professor Stephen Donnelly said: “Due to the excellent work of our architects, AHR, this building with its striking façade is a fantastic addition to the university’s campus, which I honestly believe is one of the most attractive campuses of any town-based university.”

“Since 2018, £80 million has been spent on campus development, to ensure the university’s students have access to some of the best facilities in the country. I have absolutely no doubt that this building with its ‘state of the art’ facilities will provide the perfect base for expanding our programme of research and collaboration.”