search.noResults

search.searching

saml.title
dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
RESEARCH FACILITIES


patients’ positive experience. Security and people movement were also crucial, to ensure that the public did not enter any restricted areas.


To tackle this problem, the team optimised the working environment to both improve operational functionality, and reduce energy consumption in laboratory spaces. By testing different scenarios using people flow analysis technology, the team analysed which entrance layout worked best, to establish clarity and wayfinding for the public, hospital staff, and researchers.


Cultivating communication and creativity


As well as finding the best layout to direct the flow of visitors and staff through the building, the design team used people flow analysis to create a building which encourages more communication – and therefore collaboration – among the staff, identified as one of the Quadram Institute’s primary goals. The Institute is designed to foster collaboration between different disciplines while maintaining the hierarchy of public-to-private space for users where required. The team identified early on that lines of visibility are fundamental to a building that aims to encourage and stimulate collaboration. Large glazed openings provide crucial lines of sight from office desk to laboratory bench, and between floors across the atrium lightwell. By reducing the number of cellular offices, the open plan interior frees up space to create additional breakout areas, particularly around the atrium and link bridges. While the open-plan scheme exists throughout the building, the flexibility of these spaces allows each department to break up the space as needed.


Other design moves include the organisation and sharing of space in both formal and informal ways. Different research groups are intentionally sharing office space, while meeting rooms and other building amenities are used collectively by occupants to encourage engagement between clinicians, researchers, and both external UK and international collaborators. Common areas are also shared elements, which can be used by each partner on their own or together; hence the building inspires interconnection across the wider research park campus. In that respect, the ground- floor canteen offers an informal environment for conversation, and the atrium provides additional space to host events and exhibitions.


Energy reduction


Addressing energy use was another principal objective for the project, as a way to mitigate against the complex and energy-hungry areas, from clinical to bio- containment, which are typical for a


60 Health Estate Journal October 2019


RWDI’s wind tunnel testing technology helped to determine the minimum safe fume efflux parameters to minimise fan energy consumed.


A close-up of RWDI’s wind tunnel testing model.


project of this nature. From an energy point of view, the biggest challenge was to design the heating, cooling, and electrical systems for a single building with multiple requirements and standards. It was again crucial to make sure that key members from across the Quadram Institute – such as scientists, hospital workers, and engineers – were engaged at an early stage to fully understand their requirements, identify any overlaps, and establish how the design could meet each organisation’s needs.


As energy reduction was crucial to the design, the level of internal environmental control and analysis were carefully considered; opportunities to safely reduce the traditionally applied laboratory air change rates were an important element. The air change rate is the biggest source of energy consumption in a healthcare environment; if the amount of air moving around the building is reduced, this


changes how often it needs to be heated or cooled. This was particularly applicable in the laboratories – rather than the hospital – as HTM standards would inform the hospital’s design. In existing facilities, the use of 12 air changes per hour in laboratories was common. At the Quadram Institute, the team was able to reduce this to six air changes per hour, which enabled it to use the ‘night set’ mode and thus override the system. This allows the system to be reduced to lower levels for scientists working at night.


Light and ventilation Energy efficiency strategies were employed across the facility by considering the use of natural light and ventilation. To create an exemplar environment in the write-up spaces, the design team carried out parametric facade shading studies and detailed natural ventilation analysis. This enabled extensive use of passive systems in these areas of the building. The office floor layouts were refined to take advantage of a cross-flow ventilation strategy; the use of underfloor services distribution maximised the floor-to-ceiling heights in the space. This approach helped increase daylight penetration, and made the best use of the thermal mass of the structure to enhance environmental conditions without overheating the building. Large internal glazed openings promote connectivity between the research teams and those involved in patient care. All spaces are flooded with natural light and


©RWDI


©RWDI


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160