The Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) team; BAS (British Antarctic Survey), Ramboll, BAM and Sweco complete another successful season in Antarctica, constructing the new Discovery Building. The new science support facility will support Science and Field Guide deployments across the Antarctic.

In November 2021, the team departed for Rothera following their COVID isolation period to embark on the third season constructing the 4,500m2 new Discovery Building. Across six months, the team successfully completed the skeleton of structural steelwork, ground-floor slabs and a substantial percentage of the Site Wide Services (SWS) which included electrics, potable water, drainage, fuel and communications.

In addition, a chartered vessel carrying the remaining construction plant, materials and equipment arrived in Rothera in January 2022 for unloading. This vessel was loaded over 5 days in Teesport at the end of November 2021 prior to sailing for approximately 30 days south.

This crucial season marks an important milestone for the project and paves the way for installing the external envelope and communications tower next season, prior to commencing the internal fit out and commissioning.

When complete, the Discovery building will bring many advantages in the way BAS operates at Rothera, the UK’s largest science hub on the continent. The two-storey building provides flexibility to BAS teams managing multiple operations at varying times of the year to support Science and Field Guide deployments across the Antarctic. Supporting the station’s work, the building will house preparation areas for field expeditions, workshops, offices, a medical centre, recreational spaces – including a music room and climbing wall – plus space for plant and machinery. The building uses latest design methodologies to reuse and reduce carbon to deliver the life support systems for Rothera Research Station, including a thermally-efficient envelope and renewables, including photovoltaic solar panels.

Robert Kerr, BAM Nuttall Site Agent says: “Despite the significant challenges presented by the pandemic, the construction partnership has successfully safely delivered this season’s works to programme and cost. This is tribute to the incredible effort from all within the partnership team and supply chain partners in their planning and execution of construction in such a remote location. All partners have contributed significantly to achieve the key project milestones, ensuring continued confidence in delivering the remaining works and all should take great pride in our joint achievements and have both my thanks and admiration”

David Brand, Rothera Modernisation Senior Project Manager says: “It is a great achievement for BAS to have successfully delivered another construction season with our construction partner BAM, their design consultants Sweco, and technical advisor’s Ramboll on the external build of the Discovery Building and SWS. We now have just two seasons remaining of the build before we commence the final finishes, commissioning of the building’s services, and BAS can move in.

“We have certainly turned the corner and we have a very exciting season ahead where we will see the full external fabric of the building be installed and we will for the first time see the full size of the building sitting amongst the legacy buildings at Rothera.”

Christopher Robert Lloyd, Ramboll’s infrastructure programme manager for Rothera Research Station said: “It was great to have Ramboll people support the team on site again in Antarctica providing site supervision and leadership for the project. Working in Antarctica is always challenging. Meticulous programming goes into each season to ensure the construction delivery goes to plan, especially considering the extreme weather conditions the team can face. We are hugely proud of the team’s achievements this season, once again they have come together to deliver on the shared ambition to deliver the planned work at Rothera. The new Discovery building is a crucial element in the AIMP that will support our leading scientists to deliver frontier science for the future”.

In 2020, the AIMP team completed work on the new Rothera Wharf for BAS, which enables the new ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough to berth safely. The ship completed its maiden voyage to Antarctica during the summer field season, where it berthed at Rothera for the first time in December 2021.