Swindon & Wiltshire News
Bristol construction firm recognised for landmark supercomputer build
The construction firm behind the building housing the UK’s most powerful supercomputer has been recognised in the Constructing South West Awards.
Bristol-based Oakland Construction has won praise for the installation of a cutting-edge, modular data centre for Isambard-AI, which is based at NCC on the Bristol and Bath Science Park.
The news comes as the construction firm has reported a 400 per cent increase in revenue growth from 2021 to 2025, contributing to its more successful year yet.
The £225 million Isambard-AI facility, developed by the University of Bristol in close partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Oakland Construction and NVIDIA, has already contributed to ground-breaking UK and AI safety research and represents a pivotal step in positioning the UK at the forefront of global AI leadership.
It is set to lead to faster, more accurate cancer diagnoses and new clean-energy innovations
Through effective collaboration and risk management, it was online within five months – an achievement rarely seen in an industry where similar projects can take three to five years to deliver.
Initial conversations with Government took place in August 2023, with final agreements reached by November 2023. The MDC was commissioned by March 2024.
“We’re incredibly proud to have been recognised in this prestigious award. The success of the project showcases the scale of innovation that can be achieved through effective collaboration between the public and private sector,” said Tom Lee-Fox, managing director of Oakland Construction.
“Delivering a modular build of this scale in such a short time frame is a testament to the dedication, expertise and collaborative ethos of the whole project team, most notably our own team, the University of Bristol and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.”
