Austin was commissioned to replace existing buildings to provide increased capacity and an enhanced facility, to develop a design to respond to an extremely constrained site adjacent to a cliff face and to create a solution that addresses the unique position facing the sea. This posed a challenge as we had to respond to the Planning and Conservation Area requirements of the high visibility site.

The building design has been developed using a functionality zoned approach which also responds to the exceptional site constraints. Plant rooms have been positioned to the rear of the site addressing the cliff face. The highly serviced laboratories are adjacent to the plant rooms to minimise service runs. Write-up and office accommodation is positioned along the front of the building to take advantage of the sea views.

The laboratories and offices are designed with flexibility and adaptability as a major requirement.
The interior design philosophy is an innovative and fairly radical approach to meet both functional and financial objectives by providing a combination of high performance elements with basic factory finished building components.

Sea views offer a dramatic outlook which have been fully utilised in the building design. This has been enthusiastically supported by the Local Authority.

Austin provided Architectural, Structural and Drainage design services design with on site quality support.

The completed project achieved a BREEAM Rating of Very Good.

Following on from the successful completion of an earlier new build laboratory facility of 1800m², Tripos Receptor Research commissioned The Austin Company to undertake a Concept and Preliminary design then onto the complete detail design, management and construction services for a new extension to the original facility.

The new extension, three times the size of the original building – 3,800 sq.m 3 storey Laboratory provided state of the art-laboratories described under Section 7.

The extension was designed specifically for the requirements of three distinct user groups: Research & Scale-up, Hi-through Put Chemistry and Analytical & Purification. A Bio-chem suite and a Hydrogenation laboratory was also provided.

A three storey glazed atrium was designed to encompass the main vertical circulation to the link between the existing and new buildings.

A new plantroom incorporating a heat reclaim system serves the new extension thus reducing the amount of “tie-in” and changeovers affecting on the existing building and ongoing user operations.

Austin carried out a complete turnkey service contract for Tripos ensuring cost and programme budgets were maintained, maintaining operations within the existing buildings with emphasis on safety and reducing user inconvenience.

Austin are currently mid way through the design process for this two projects at Aberystwyth University and the BREEAM targeted scores for both buildings is ‘Excellent’.

Austin was commissioned to provide Feasibility/Concept through to Preliminary design and subsequently the detail design of functional laboratory spaces Including all building elements, building and laboratory services including HVAC, pipework, electrical and public health requirements. Subsequently Austin provided the Role of Planning Supervisor, Technical Support during Construction and Contract Administration.

The Research Institute, sited on the banks of the River Tees, takes maximum advantage of this unique location to provide a high profile building and a modern environment for its occupants.
The 4,100 m² building complex houses laboratories, associated write-up areas, offices, and conference facilities with support spaces.

Following on from providing a new £12.5m Chemistry Laboratory noted above Austin were appointed to design and construct a £9.5m Pharmacology Laboratory.

The facility was designed to provide a “high tech” appearance both inside and out to reflect Organon’s excellent reputation in the research industry.

As a Home Office approved operation the laboratory had to meet the very latest standards in terms of GLP including air change rates, air cleanliness, containment and pressure regimes.

The challenge was to centralise research activities at Alderley Park into a new facility which when combined with existing facilities, would provide improved support for AstraZeneca’s candidate drugs programme.

We were commissioned to replace the existing laboratories with a new facility on the same foot print due to “Green Belt” restrictions. In addition The Austin Company was to maintain the existing plant which serves adjacent buildings in the sub-basement of the existing laboratory.

We had to meet the following critical success factors:

• Conform to regulatory requirements.
• Provide improved functionality and
• efficiencies in the areas of:
  • Communication
  • Interfaces between functions
  • Co-location of staff
• Flexibility/adaptability (accommodate new technology).
• Project a “World Class” image and environment to retain and attract staff.
• Design a new facility compatible with long-term site vision.
• Maintain ongoing operations in adjacent facilities throughout the construction period.

The Austin Company performed a feasibility study with options that identified a solution which was developed for implementation.

The demolition of one floor and a roof plant area of an existing reinforced concrete building, left the lower floor level in place over an existing plant area serving adjacent buildings.

We strengthened the remaining structure and foundations within an operational plant room, before constructing a four-storey research facility totalling 11,400m², on top of the existing building.

The new facility is connected on three sides to existing units. Great care and planning had to be taken during the demolition and rebuilding to minimise disruption to these sensitive areas.

Team working created a positive `can do’ attitude and eliminated traditional adversarial arrangements through the AstraZeneca “Alliance Team” approach to project implementation.

This complex project met the client’s brief for purpose, safety, quality, time and cost.

The Austin Company of UK Ltd provided planning, design, engineering and construction services for the 7,790sq.m facility.

A close relationship was developed between Austin and Organon to provide a team committed to the established goals of quality, cost, programme and health and safety.

The team had to overcome difficult ground conditions containing remains of old facilities and a labyrinth of disused coal shafts and tunnels.

The facility comprises 10 spacious laboratories on the ground and first floors allocated to chemistry, robotics, and analytical chemistry.  The laboratories are supported by a lecture theatre, library, lounge, write up areas, chemical and solvent storage facilities.

A second floor plant room, with natural light, houses plant and equipment to service the technical areas.  There are 158 fume cupboards having a unique energy-saving air supply vortex to reduce the volume of conditioned air drawn from the laboratories.

Architecturally the building has been designed with a high-tech appearance befitting Organon’s image as a leader in the pharmaceuticals field.

To meet the standards of its own Directorate of Veterinary Medicine, as well as those of the European Community, CVL upgraded a laboratory building that functions as a Biological Production Operation.

The renovated building contains facilities for media preparation and sterile processing. It also houses culture and incubation areas, cold rooms and microbiology and chemistry laboratories. Other areas are provided for wash-up, labelling and packaging.

The facility’s clean rooms were designed to achieve Grade B of the EEC Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicinal products.

Two of the four sterile suites were designed to create aseptic environments to contain Category 3 pathogens by negative pressure. The other two suites, used for media preparation and filling, are maintained under positive pressure.

A pressure cascade functioning throughout adjacent areas attains Grade C and Grade D levels of cleanliness.

The Austin Company of U.K. Ltd. designed, engineered and constructed the entire renovation project. Austin also provided project management services for the validation of both the facility and its production equipment.

In addition, Austin purchased and installed specialty equipment including autoclaves, safety cabinets, centrifuge, filling machine, drying oven, mobile mixing tanks and clean-in-place systems.

The Central Laboratory for Anglian Water houses the analytical operations of Anglian Water. The Austin Company was involved at conception through to completion in this two year project, aimed at creating a Centre of Excellence.

105 Central Laboratory staff are responsible for the analysis of the water provided and the sewage produced by Anglian’s customers. All operations are now conducted from this new facility. This has resulted in the closure of four regional laboratories, spread across East Anglia and the Midlands, with a space saving of approximately 25%.

The Central Laboratory includes operations such as trace organics, waste/soils, water/biology and microbiology and includes a new Parasitology Laboratory which is at the forefront of technology.

The Austin Company was commissioned to work in collaboration with Anglian Water to produce a concept design for the Central Laboratory, select a site and procure a developer for the shell construction. Austin was then awarded the detailed design and fit-out for the laboratories and the project management remit was increased to include interface between the developer, Austin and the scientists.

The architectural, mechanical, electrical design and engineering services, coupled with the project management and construction management services, delivered 2,500m² of quality laboratories to Anglian Water’s Centre of Excellence on time and within budget.

Austin provided complete services from concept to final commissioning and handover for this new Central Research Dispensary for Syngenta to prepare novel chemicals for research purposes in a fully air conditioned facility.

The need for stabilized room conditions and a 24 hour, seven days per week operation were key success criteria borne in mind during the design development phase.

The facility has two automatic storage and retrieval systems for trays of samples held in bottles and tubes. Individual samples can be selected or new trays introduced by the operator and are delivered by conveyor to the laboratories from a vertical storage carousel.

Robotic sampling units within the High Throughput Laboratory are housed in two 3.0m x 2.2m fume hood enclosures.

The building design took into account the need for an increase in automated storage and retrieval systems to cater for future expansion.

This was the fourth of many projects by Austin at Jealott’s Hill and is part of an overall site strategy developed by Austin with Syngenta.

Deluxe (formerly Rank) Film Laboratories is a leading motion-picture film processor. In order to maintain its leadership position in the industry, Deluxe expanded its existing facility in Denham, west of London.

The 1,680m² addition houses three high-speed film processing machines that run at a maximum speed of 228 meters per minute. The advanced technology equipment more than doubles the output capacity of the facility.

Tanks, pumps and pipe work are situated on the first floor together with a new main electrical switch room that serves both the old and new film processing areas.

Deluxe’s operational activities are carried out on the second floor. Mechanical services are located. Because of the corrosive nature of film processing chemicals, the expansion incorporates special floor and wall treatments as well as plastic piping, stainless-steel pipe supports and glass reinforced plastic walkways.

Deluxe was able to maintain its film processing operations throughout construction, a key element in the programming of the project.

The Austin Company provided architectural and process design as well as engineering and construction services for the project. The project was completed on a four-phased redevelopment programme.