Manchester, UK
Completed:
2026
Architect:
Lancaster Maloney Martin
Contractor:
John Turner Construction Group
Product Used:
Fume Cupboards, Wing
Manchester Communication Academy’s new purpose-built Science Block brings together 11 specialist laboratories, creating a modern environment for practical science, hands-on learning and discovery.
Part of Greater Manchester Academies Trust, the facilities represent a significant investment in science education at the Academy. Designed with practical teaching at their heart, the laboratories provide purposeful spaces for scientific inquiry, giving students the opportunity to investigate ideas, test theories and build confidence through experimentation.
SB Labs was involved from the earliest design stages, working closely with the Trust to translate its vision for the new Science Block into laboratories shaped around the needs of students and teaching staff. Detailed layouts, drawings and 3D visualisations allowed each space to be explored and refined before manufacture, while SB Labs’ technical expertise helped identify practical solutions and make effective use of the available teaching space.
Across the Science Block, SB Labs manufactured bespoke school laboratory furniture designed around the size and layout of each space, student numbers and the practical requirements of the science curriculum.
Bespoke Wing bench configurations accommodate between four and eight students depending on the laboratory, creating dedicated workstations for practical teaching while incorporating integrated storage.
The Wing benches are complemented by perimeter laboratory furniture and mobile recirculating Mobiliare fume cupboards.
The laboratory furniture and fume cupboards were manufactured at SB Labs’ Manchester facility, just six miles from the Academy.
Following completion, Andrew Woolley, Chief Operating Officer at Greater Manchester Academies Trust, commented:
“The finished laboratories look absolutely superb. They are exactly as we envisaged during the planning stages – modern, functional, high-quality teaching environments that both staff and students will benefit from for many years to come.”
SB Labs also manufactured the specialist furniture package for Manchester Communication Academy’s new Year 7 Transition Centre.
All photos are courtesy of Wells Built Ltd.
The SB Labs manufacturing plant, showrooms and offices are always open for viewing and a member of staff would be happy to provide a guided tour at any time.
