Goodson Associates completed the extension of the IGC, Institute of Genetics and Cancer for The University of Edinburgh, a five storey, research facility at the Western General Hospital Campus in 2024. The new space extends the existing building which was completed in 2015 and connects the three founding centres of the Institute.

The completed building houses a range of specialist laboratories, write-up and office spaces, and breakout and collaboration spaces, as well as an improved bicycle store for staff and students to use. Goodson Associates designed and detailed an in-situ reinforced concrete frame and worked closely and collaboratively with the main contractor and design team to deliver a successful project on a constrained site.

The requirement to incorporate specialist laboratory space, with stringent vibration control parameters, into the extension resulted in the need to adopt a concrete framed solution for the superstructure. Special attention was paid to the junctions between the 2 neighbouring buildings against when the new extension adjoined to ensure differential to ensure differential vertical and lateral displacement was accommodated in the design whilst ensuring visual continuity between the 3 structurally independent buildings.

Key project challenges included the adaption of the design to allow the structural frame to be completed in 2 halves and the installation of substructure and below ground drainage in and around existing live buildings and their services.