What will be in the building?

Building on the University's business case and identified vision and goals for the project, each department identified their requirements for the new building. They would like to share some spaces, invite the public into the building and create suitable but flexible zones for separate research groups and teaching.

Through a series of workshops with all three departments and project stakeholders, the design team has defined the space types required and how much area each will take up within the building.

In total the University requires an internal area of 25,000 sqm to fulfil the key project goal to deliver a high performance new home for the Departments of Experimental Psychology and Biology, providing future proof space for a mix of science areas, office accommodation as well as teaching and public space. The spatial requirements of the building were calculated based on an analysis of departmental growth projections up to 2028.

The final brief represents a reduction from initial estimates of over 26,000 sqm, made possible by careful optimisation of building efficiency (percentage of usable area compared to overall size) as well as space efficiencies made possible by the departments sharing facilities.

The building will also include space for the new Ineos Oxford Institute (IOI), which has been established to combat the growing global issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The IOI will be housed in part of the space originally designated as unallocated space for future expansion.