Construction of a £13.1m new Net Zero Industry Innovation building that will position the North East firmly at the heart of the UK’s green industrial revolution has completed on site.

The Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC) for Teesside University will support the ongoing drive for clean energy and supports the University’s commitment to becoming a Net Zero Institution by 2030.

We have been leading the designs and working closely with the University and main contractors, Robertson Group, to ensure the delivery of this state-of-the-art facility, which is the latest development at the expanding Net Zero Innovation Hub in Teesside.

The NZIIC, a European Regional Development Fund project, will focus on developing new approaches to tackle the impact of waste and pollution on the environment, utilising expertise around industrial decarbonisation, sustainability, and the circular economy by working in collaboration between academia and industry.

The ambitious new development will bring together expert insight, resources, and partnerships to grow net zero capabilities and opportunities; placing the region at the forefront of the clean energy agenda and helping to create hundreds more clean energy jobs.

Simon Rennison-Rae, Partner at GSSArchitecture, said, “We are pleased to have delivered this fantastic scheme for Teesside University. Set to be a national centre of excellence, the building itself has achieved RIBA 2025 Net Zero credentials and has been constructed through careful choice of materials to minimise carbon footprint, a fabric first passive approach, as well as minimising the in-use energy demands. Achieving BREEAM Outstanding rating was also core to the project brief. At GSS, this project has offered a huge practice-wide learning opportunity to progress our own design skills to deliver Net Zero and sustainable projects. Our expertise is already leading to other commissions as our clients across the country further recognise our skills in the sector and how we can assist them in delivering their own schemes and strategies more responsibly and in an informed and efficient manner for a more sustainable future.”

This is the latest in a long list of sustainable projects in our portfolio, and we were appointed as Architect, Lead Consultant and Principal Designer on this scheme as a one stop shop, together with Summers Inman, Cundall, Billinghurst George and Partners, Apex, and Main Contractor, Robertson Group.