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“Within 25 years, this building will be completely carbon neutral,” says Richard Fielding, area director at Morgan Sindall, the main contractor for a new laboratory at the University of Notingham. “There really is nothing like it around here. It’s a real example for others to follow and shows just what can be achieved.” The £15.8 million GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral
Laboratory of Sustainable Chemistry started out as an idea to create a carbon-neutral laboratory. With no specific location in mind and the finished design on the drawing board, a site was needed. This was when a meeting between Notingham University and GlaxoSmithKline led to the identification of a site at the University’s award-winning Innovation Park. From here the project snowballed. With the project
team in place, ground was broken on the development site in October 2013. With 4,500sqm of office space and laboratory accommodation for over 100 researchers, the development will provide state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories, writing-up areas, school outreach space, academic offices, seminar rooms and a communal winter garden. The aim is to achieve LEED platinum accreditation and BREEAM outstanding certification, and the centre promises to be one of the most sustainable buildings of its generation.
“The GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratory of Sustainable Chemistry at The University of Nottingham is setting a new standard for sustainable development in the UK”
The building fabric will incorporate the latest
technologies and materials to allow it to be carbon- neutral over its lifetime. The naturally ventilated laboratory will be built from natural materials with energy generation met through renewable sources, such as solar power on the southern elevation and sustainable biofuel. Excess energy created by the building will either be fed back into the power grid or linked to a district heating system and used to heat the nearby office development on campus. It will also provide enough carbon credits over 25 years to offset the small amount of carbon used in the building’s construction. “We face a number of challenges to ensure that
we’re achieving both the necessary BREEAM and LEED standards whilst monitoring the carbon,” says Morgan Sindall projects manager Nick Hilton. “It has been an interesting exercise to compare the two approaches. “We have found a number of materials which would
be suitable for one, but do not meet the standards of the other and it can be a real challenge to source materials which are suitable for both.” The carbon modelling of the building shows it
reaching neutrality after 13 years of operation, but at that stage certain elements within the building, such as the CHP boiler, storage tanks and fabric ductwork will require renewing, which puts the building back into carbon deficit. This ‘second phase’ carbon loading is then offset by the carbon credits generated through the renewable energy sources. Achieving neutrality starts at the very beginning
for the building, with a minimum amount of carbon- heavy materials such as steel and concrete being used. The building frame is constructed mainly
from glued laminate (glulam) beams with around 60 per cent of the glulam panel walls externally clad in cedar. The remaining 40 per cent will be clad in terracota tiles which are single-fired to keep embedded carbon to a minimum. The green roof on the north-western elevation
provides insulation to the laboratory while the four distinctive ‘horns’ are designed to allow the fume cupboards to discharge way above the fresh air intakes which are located at ridge level. This allows the air to circulate in the naturally ventilated laboratory space. The south-western elevation is home to the solar
PV panels, which sit above the winter garden and the laboratory spaces. This winter garden not only provides a relaxing space for the building’s users but also acts as an insulating buffer maintaining the temperate conditions inside regardless of the external temperature. With a unique, distinctive design and its commitment
to minimal environmental impact, the GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratory of Sustainable Chemistry promises to become a game-changing building for sustainable development in the UK. The development is being constructed in
partnership between the University of Notingham and the Higher Education Funding Council for England and is facilitated by a £12m grant from GlaxoSmithKline. The lead contractor is Morgan Sindall, architects are Fairhurst Design Group and sustainability consultants are Best Foot Forward, with civil and structural services through Curtins. Client-facing service engineer is Aecom, client-facing
project manager is Gleeds, client-facing cost manager and QS is Capita and CDM coordinator is WSP Safety. UB
PROJECT AIMS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Carbon neutral after 23 years Seeking BREEAM Outstanding and LEED Platinum accreditation Currently recording over 91% BREEAM Currently recording over 90% LEED 74-week build process £15.8m development
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