Sir Trevor Pears, executive chair of the Pears Foundation, led a ceremony to fit the last bolt into the steel frame of the Pears Building on 15 October, marking a milestone in the creation of the new home for the Institute of Immunology and Transplantation (IIT).

More than 50 people took part in the event, which included guests writing their names on bricks and laying them into a wall that will remain visible in the charity’s new office for the life of the building. The building is still on schedule to be completed in September 2020.

Work continues on the detail of the external envelope of the building, including the brickwork, window frames and glazing. The fitting-out of the inside has begun, with partition walls at levels 2 and 3 and the installation of mechanical, electrical and ventilation systems on levels 0 and 1.

Detailed planning of the equipment and furniture to go into the laboratories, offices and patient accommodation is complete and the IIT has begun recruiting to new posts that the enlarged institute will be able to accommodate.

Local people, including volunteer gardeners who work for the charity, are being consulted concerning some of the planting for the grounds of the new building.

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