The University of York – Chemistry Research Laboratories
The University of York
The Opportunity
- Expansion of the existing chemistry research capacity in response to significant increases.
- Austin working with the university to develop the user requirements for the extension of the chemistry facility.
- The existing planning consent to be extended to the new facility. This required the design to compliment and match the external appearance of the existing building whilst carefully integrating it internally.
The Solution
The project provides a 2,685m² building that serves as both a teaching and research facility and accommodates over 100 researches. The development provides three floors of teaching and research laboratories and office space. Plant is centralised in a roof top plant room. The laboratories house 73 fume cupboards and are served by a central VAV supply and extract system. Office, write-up areas and break-out spaces are positioned around the laboratories on the perimeter of each floor.
The design provides large open plan laboratory areas, with views to outside through the write-up area. The main laboratory feature exposed ceiling voids, the design of which allows improved integration of high level services, simplified maintenance access and gives a modern, contemporary “feel” to the laboratory spaces.
Energy saving requirements have been at the forefront of the design and the building has been designed to meet the requirements of BREEAM very Good. Initiatives to support the BREEAM rating involved the design and selection of energy efficient equipment as part of the mechanical and electrical design.
The heating is connected to the university’s district heating system; heat recovery run-around coils are used. Lighting controls in laboratories incorporate presence detection and staged dimming; perimeter lighting is regulated using daylight sensors. Austin provided a collaborative procurement approach to respond to the demanding programme with an incentivised target cost principle.
The project was delivered to excellent quality standards and overall cost parameters.