The £54 million Glass Futures facility in St Helens will support the glass industry to pioneer new ways of making carbon-neutral glass.
Designed by Aew Architects, the global centre of excellence is the result of a partnership between research organisation Glass Futures, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, UK Research & Innovation and St Helens Council.
It will feature a unique experimental furnace and other technology that will pioneer ways of making carbon-neutral glass. Learning from the facility could help decarbonise other energy-intensive industries. These factors helped win it a CoStar Impact Award.
The development has successfully regenerated the former United Glass site and created 80 jobs. Once fitted out, it will also house a container glass production line alongside office, training and laboratory space. and allow for the future installation of a float glass production line. The facility will be used to deliver industry and government-backed research and development projects focused on decarbonising glass production and will also provide a platform for the industry to test and trial their own commercial ideas.
About the Project: The project has been 10 years in the making, Richard Katz, chief executive of Glass Futures said at the launch event.
What the Judges Said: "The Glass Futures development which offers a glimpse of what the future could hold for towns like St Helens, capitalising on the specialist industrial heritage of the town to create low-carbon high-skilled manufacturing solutions," said John Hughes, managing director, Ask Real Estate.
They Made It Happen: Alan Lamb, director, AEW Architects; Richard Katz, chief executive, Glass Futures; Catherine Chilvers, development director, Network Space.