A holistic, interdisciplinary approach has been adopted to define the sustainability strategy for the development. The Strategy is based on:
The Oxford University Estates Services Sustainability Design Guide
Local Planning Policy, incl. a 40% reduction in regulated CO2 emissions compared to a Part L compliant baseline
A selection of measures from best practice industry standards (such as WELL Building Standard)
The building and its environmental systems are being designed to follow Passivhaus principles to achieve a highly sustainable and efficient building, balancing the projects budget with the critical need to reduce operational energy use, emissions and embodied carbon.
A key focus is to reduce energy demand through optimised envelope design. Heat loss/gain as well as glare have been studied through computational analysis to optimise the glass to solid ratio and shading devices.
The design aims to reduce embodied carbon by limiting mass concrete structure to where required by research-space performance-criteria, and through ongoing consideration of the use of novel low carbon concrete.
Long term adaptability has been achieved through the creation of open regular floor plates, limiting structural spans (to ease future vertical links), a zoning approach to dropped and level slabs in laboratories avoiding bespoke localised structural changes, an envelope that provides regular windows and intervals to connect partitions, and by grouping functions with similar performance requirements into zones that can be adjusted within.
Biodiversity and access to nature of the site is being greatly enhanced through new landscaping at ground, on top of terraces, as well as inside the building.
Water run-of has been taken into account by adopting measures such as BlueRoof technology and attenuation tanks.
