Work to create one of the UK’s finest centres for human evolutionary research reached a critical stage last week with the ’‘topping out’ of a major new facility for the University of Cambridge.

The Henry Wellcome Building on the city’s Fitzwilliam Street will house the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies. The Centre was established in 2000 by Dr Marta Mirazón Lahr and Professor Robert Foley to build on the university’s strengths in human evolution. As part of the Department of Biological Anthropology, its primary objective is to carry out research exploring human evolutionary history, looking at the evolutionary forces that have shaped humanity and still operate today.

The Centre brings together fields such as the study of fossils, archaeology, genetics, cultural diversity and linguistics. The five-million-pound building will house academic research and teaching space and the University’s famous Duckworth Collection of human remains and other biological materials.

Professor Robert Foley said: “This new building will provide the finest facilities for human evolutionary research in the UK. We will have more than 30 active researchers in the Centre, a major advance for human evolutionary studies in the UK and the world.”

Construction of the Centre’s new home is being managed by the University’s Estate Management and Building Service (EMBS) and built by Marriott Construction under a design and build contract with architects Sheppard Robson. Marriott Construction have been involved in many high profile schemes for EMBS including the Biochemistry Building Phase 1, and the Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics (CAPE) which is currently on site, along with Department of Chemistry laboratory refurbishments and the recently completed Lecture Theatres 1, 2 and 3.

Marriott Managing Director Chris Murphy welcomed guests to the topping out, including Mayor of Cambridge Cllr John Hipkin, university staff and academics and members of the design and construction team. “We are delighted to enjoy such a good working relationship with the University of Cambridge and are particularly proud of this project,” he said. “It is a challenging and sensitive site but it is a tribute to our staff that the project has progressed so well.”

The building has been funded by the Wellcome Trust, The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the University of Cambridge. Long- term funding for new academic posts and research support has been provided by the Leverhulme Trust (£2.1 million).

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