Co-Labs
Mohammad Usman
CO-LABS is a sustainable fabrication facility for Atom Valley in Rochdale, designed to showcase the collaboration between nature, technology, and people. The central feature is a flowing, membrane-clad pavilion (“the sheath”) inspired by the bioluminescent form of jellyfish. The expressive timber lattice structure, influenced by Shigeru Ban and Kengo Kuma, supports the membrane and celebrates craftsmanship and ecological materiality while remaining readable through the building’s surface. This is done through light and translucency in the membrane, which creates a striking visual pattern during the evening.
The programme of CO-LABS centres around inclusive, high-tech fabrication and research, with spaces designed to support the production and testing of assistive robotics and advanced manufacturing components. The primary pavilion’s timber-clad, pod-like buildings house distinct functions: 3D printing labs, metalworking and testing bays, electronic workstations, and clean rooms for precision assembly. By emphasizing user experience with sustainable building control measures, Co-Labs has a safe and comfortable workplace that promotes ‘Co-Lab’-oboration.
The scheme draws on Indigenous design principles and Lo-Tek theory (Julia Watson), focusing on environmental harmony and stewardship. These ideas directly informed the project’s sustainable systems: reed beds and SuDS mimic natural water cycles and reduce pollution, aligning with the project’s commitment to protecting local wildlife and enhancing biodiversity. The green roofs provide habitats, regulate temperature, and echo Indigenous communities’ earth lodges and root structures. Spatially, the design follows George Cullen’s idea of a sequential townscape, creating a meaningful journey through the site. CO-LABS blends biophilic design, structural clarity, and environmental ethics into a facility that is as socially conscious as spatially expressive.
