3PM are recognised experts in the science and technology field and have delivered a great number of schemes across the southeast & Cambridge.  Following the publication of the 3PM / GXN report “Transforming to Zero” Patrick sets out below the steps taken by Howard Group, supported by 3PM, in defining a best in class, sustainably led speculative laboratory product in Cambridge.  

Phase 1 (2020 completion)

As part of the earlier Phase 1 of the development scheme, Howard Group had promoted the re-use of an existing 1970s warehouse which allowed the subsequent repurpose of the building into c. 72,000 sq ft of laboratory space.

The first building to be developed on Unity Campus was The Works, where success was defined by the retention and repurposing of an existing building. Through innovative design interventions, the project transformed a former concrete framed industrial warehouse into high-quality workspaces which enhances connections between different tenants whilst celebrating the site’s industrial heritage.

Specific measures secured included:

• The reuse of the existing concrete frame and concrete floor slab which saved approx. 1,900 tonnes of embodied carbon emissions.
• Transformation of an existing building using 50% retained materials and structure.
• Intelligent design solutions including wrapping the existing frame in a new insulated envelope to allow for the reuse of the concrete structure.
• New Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof in the middle of the building increasing natural daylight into office spaces. ETFE is a popular alternative to glass –(less than 1% of the weight). 
• The Street has been designed to function as an inside/outside space and as a result is a non-heated and naturally ventilated space.
• Mechanical and electrical systems benefit from heat recovery technology and operate on a dual pipe basis to ensure the efficient use of heating and cooling systems.

The Works also supports sustainable modes of transport to its site and is ideally located for cyclists, with active encouragement towards a target of 50% of occupiers cycling to work. 200 secure bike parking spaces are conveniently located directly outside the building whilst shower and storage facilities including electric bike lockers are provided for occupiers. A new access road and upgraded footpaths and cycleways link Unity Campus with Sawston village, Whittlesford Parkway railway station (in under a mile) and central Cambridge.

Phase 2 (2023 completion)

The Phase 2 scheme provided an opportunity to test a new build product on brownfield land that aimed to set the standard for a carbon efficient building yet maintain the required flexibility to service the significant demand for laboratory space in the Cambridge region. The design approach, developed in conjunction with Nicholas Hare Architects (NHA) set out to facilitate the lowest carbon building possible on the journey to achieving the UKGBC NetZero 2030 / 2050 targets. 

3PM steered the design development against its in-house route map which enabled the right behaviours to be adopted by both the client, professional and contracting teams. The initial design approach has been to enhance the passive design elements, by adopting a fabric first approach. This has resulted in an enhanced air tightness regime, far exceeding Building Regulations requirements with a target of 1m3/hr vs 3m3/hr. The London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) is a network of over 1000 built environment professionals that are working together to put London on the path to a zero-carbon future. The LETI guidance was set as an Employers Requirement under the phase 2 delivery contract and informed the approach to concluding the design of the buildings at Unity Campus.

The result was the rapid development of three new buildings, Orion (31,000sqft), Cadence (32,000sqft) and Sigma (24,000sqft) totalling some 159,000 sq ft of modern purpose build laboratory & office space on this unique campus setting. We look forward to further advances in the product development with Phase 3 (58,000 sq ft) and Phase 4 (45,000 sq ft).

Taking the key findings from the studies, we set out below the key parameters delivered in Unity Campus:

Early reporting and identification of opportunities: As part of the initial briefing in RIBA Stage 1 / 2, a decision was made to adopt the LETI guidelines for an enhanced fabric first approach coupled with low air tightness parameters. This follows the early stages of our route map (all aimed at driving the most carbon effective built form):

Ref: 3PM Low Carbon route map

By maximising the insulation aspects and by adoption of the lower air tightness constraints, we achieved a fabric first approach. This was coupled with a requirement for the write-up / office spaces to be naturally ventilated via openable windows and running the mechanical systems in a peak lopping mode. We also adopted a desire to utilise a design for material and manufacturing (DfMM) approach and set about testing the concept of utilising a timber-based structural integrated panel (SiPS) in lieu of the more typical aluminium based steel framing solutions (SFS).

Biodiversity has been significantly enhanced since the previous use as brownfield contaminated land. Wildflower meadows, reinstating natural water culverts, planting orchards and introducing beehives. These changes have already increased biodiversity through Phases 1 & 2 on site by over 130%. The Unity Campus site was previously a contaminated brown field development and considerable remediation was required to ensure this once proud industrial site was brought back into commercial use, diverting some 99% of all construction waste from landfill.

Use of Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) additives in concrete is an accepted approach but when supplemented by off-site fabrication of the rebar and a drive to minimise waste in formwork could drive significant carbon benefits.

All of the above opportunities were identified and tested by the professional team in RIBA Stage 1 & 2.

Operational carbon within such a heavily serviced building remains driven by the sector’s desire for minimum number of air changes. 6 air changes per hour (ACH) is the established acceptable current need for laboratory spaces yet write up can benefit from natural ventilation (via openable windows) and the principles of a demand led provision.

Carbon targets and budget: The ability of the market to model carbon is still emerging and was in its infancy during the design stages of the project. We therefore progressed on the basis of a set of implied principles, again following the 3PM route map and at RIBA Stage 3 retrospectively modelled the proposed design at RIBA Stage 1 & 2. 

RICS carbon modelling methodology: Whilst this could have been undertaken earlier, it demonstrated that early decisions were fundamental with the shift to a SiPS product generating significant embodied carbon savings. 

Elemental assessment: The main contractor Morgan Sindall utilised their in-house product to introduce a standardised approach from RIBA Stage 2 through to RIBA Stage 6 (Completion). 

Following the appointment of Morgan Sindall, detailed analysis of the embodied carbon was undertaken via their CarboniCa software, using the RIBA Stage 2 as the baseline, which in turn quantified the benefits achieved at RIBA Stage 3 and 4. The Stage 4 design process was already working towards a reduced quantification (kgCO_2e/m²) of Embodied Carbon through the incorporation of the RIBA Stage 3 updates (GGBS concrete, Innovare SIPS vs SFS internal walls).

Further enhancements including the concrete roof as a replacement to the screed and the appropriate selection of low carbon finishes is underway. The ability to value lower-carbon methodologies at each stage enabled the project to set some clear carbon KPI metrics and demonstrate the viability of the approach adopted. 

Definition of Contract Requirements and certification criteria:

Whilst the facilities provided lab ready buildings with an inherent high energy demand, the specifications have been set at the established norms to achieve 6 ACH across the laboratory areas. Within the write up spaces (40% by area) a natural ventilation strategy has been adopted with openable windows throughout. These measures will enable the tenants to reduce the operational carbon demands significantly over other comparable buildings.

The BREEAM target was increased from the defined planning requirement of ‘very good’ used for Phase 1 and enhanced to ‘excellent’ for the Phase 2 scheme. The buildings achieved a 72% design certification. Detailed metrics secured as follows:

ESG

• All electric provision.
• Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)s specified.
• Enhanced U values and air tightness to LETI targets, exceeding Building Regulations.
• Innovare SIPs iFast panels installed saving both embodied carbon and time.
• Passive Purple vapour control paint installed to reduce air leakage, with an achieved air tightness scheme of in the range of 1.02 – 1.47 m³/h m²@50Pa.
• GGBS content is based on 40% replacement in piles and 50% in caps and beams.
• The final embodied life cycle carbon score achieved at PC is 850 kgCO₂/m² (A1-B5, C1-4) which represents a reduction of 160 kgCO₂/m² since Stage 2 design.
• RIBA Stage 5 modelling identified a further c.83 kgCO₂/m² savings across the three buildings by reflecting the actual transport impact based on the procured supply chain.

Laboratory

• 60% lab space allocation.
• 6m grid, 3.9m structural height concrete slab RF4, 4KN/m^2.
• On column drainage with dedicated tenant sampling points.
• Remotely operated 2m³ goods lift and separate passenger lift.
• 6 ACH to lab areas with roof top plant and riser space allocated.
• BS 9999 Fire Strategy B1-5, single escape stair.
• Raised access floor supplied with ply and screed top; void can be infilled as needed.
• Planning for fume stacks.
• External gas storage and service yard with ‘rear’ access.
• Generator ‘plug-in’ provided.

Write-up

• 14l/s naturally ventilated ‘peak lopped’ with Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) air source heat pumps (ASHP).
• Raised access floors.
• Central spine ceilings to main service routes.
• Openable windows.

Ref: NHA Sustainability parameters

Conclusion

The creation of any new product in the market requires a change in mindset, establishing a challenge to the delivery teams that will stimulate the development of a decarbonised laboratory that meets the needs of its speculative tenants and delivers a NetZero enabled facility significantly increasing its asset value both now and in the future. Delivering commercially viable laboratories requires an understanding of both current and future needs of the research and innovation sectors.

The design requires functionally efficient and adaptable baseplates able to match changing research needs but is also commercially attractive.

Success as a viable science community requires the right location, links to research clusters, attractive design choices and the right mix of amenities – all of which have now been provided at Unity Campus.