THE DISCOVERY CENTRE, CAMBRIDGE 15
MATERIAL BENEFITS
between the various workspaces. Other materials internally have been chosen to best suit and refl ect the different functions of each area, such as the different fl ooring materials chosen for specifi c spaces. The entrances feature natural stone and the main stairs up through the building and the DISC’s inner ring are rough-sawn solid oak. The offi ces and ‘write-up’ rooms, where better acoustics are required, are fi nished in carpet, while the laboratories feature a more practical white resin fi nish. The other key material used throughout the building is exposed concrete. Not only does this offer glimpses into the construction method and structural function of the building, it was also a deliberate choice to complement the glass and wood.
Sustainable science
As well as designing a building that would encourage collaboration both internally and externally, it was important to the project team and client that The DISC
ADF MAY 2025
be highly sustainable. It has achieved a BREEAM certifi cation of Excellent thanks to elements of both the design and construction.
AstraZeneca has an aspirational programme it calls Ambition Zero Carbon which includes a series of targets to reduce its own carbon footprint globally, including zero carbon emissions from its operations by the end of this year, and its entire value chain to be carbon negative by 2030. It’s also working on the creation of medicines that have a lesser impact on the environment, such as a respiratory inhaler containing a near-zero Global Warming Potential propellant. Aligning with this, the building was designed to what AstraZeneca calls “the highest environmental standards,” with a goal of increasing its energy effi ciency and “working in harmony with the natural environment as much as possible” through heating, cooling and lighting. The building has what is thought to be the UK’s largest ‘renewable heat certifi ed’
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The heavily-glazed envelope is offset by warm timber internally, and the shared laboratory spaces benefi t from good natural light
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