The planned handing over of Helix in May has already been postponed twice, till July and then till August. There was a further delay because the air extraction system in the building was still inadequate, says Bart Sjoerts, facilities manager at the Agrotechnology & Food Sciences Group (AESG). There are strict requirements for Helix because the building contains a number of fume chambers. ‘We are doing our utmost to have the building ready on 28 August.’
A number of chair groups, such as Microbiology, Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, have called off the planned move. Sjoerts is trying to get some of the cancelled moves planned in again in October. The remaining groups will be moving between October and January, at least if Helix passes the inspection. Otherwise it will be back to the drawing board yet again. ‘And that,’ says Sjoerts, ‘is not a thought I want to entertain.’