SCHOOLS & EDUCATION FACILITIES SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE REFURBISHMENT


Fogg lifted at Queen Mary


T


he striking transformation of a tired and uncomfortable academic building in east London points the way forward for educational establishments looking to extend the life of their building for a fraction of the cost of a rebuild. The GE Fogg Building, which won a special commendation in the refurbishment category of the CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2012, houses the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London’s Mile End campus. Bearing the name of a noted professor


of botany, the seven-storey, 7,000 sq m structure is used by more than 70 permanent academic staff and 1,300 undergraduate and postgraduate students. It is predominantly dedicated to specialist teaching laboratories with two large teaching labs and a suite of ‘Containment Level 3’ labs, which are used to conduct research into bio-hazards and toxins such as Sars and MRSA. GE Fogg, which dates from the 1970s, was failing to provide a suitable home for some


4 CIBSE Journal March 2012


of the world’s leading scientists. The leaky façade meant the building was proving to be uneconomic to heat in winter, and extreme solar glare was causing problems with staff putting up makeshift blinds to compensate. The concrete structure was corroded and the windows were leaking. Queen Mary turned to architect Fraser


Brown Mackenna and building services consultancy Mott Macdonald Fulcrum for help. ‘We looked to improve occupant comfort in a practical, sustainable, yet economic way,’ explains Fulcrum’s project engineer Yudish Dabee. The design team developed an over-


cladding scheme that prevented the concrete structure from further carbonation and corrosion, improved the thermal and energy performance of the building, included energy generation through renewable means, reduced maintenance costs and upgraded its dated image with a contemporary style. In delivering the £4m project, the team overcame the logistical challenges of working around


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