A brand new laboratory at The Pirbright Institute, opened earlier this year by HRH The Princess Royal, has scooped a prestigious design award at the Guildford Design Awards 2017. The awards, which take place every two years, were established in 1987 to celebrate well-designed, innovative architectural and environmental projects that contribute to the quality and sustainability of our surroundings.
The BBSRC National Vaccinology Centre: The Jenner Building won jointly with a renovation project in the New Build category and impressed the judges with its contemporary functional design coupled with strong sustainability credentials. The £17 million building is home to over 100 scientists delivering world-leading research though energy efficient facilities including photovoltaic panels, thermal mass heating that secured the building a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating.
Designed by architects NBBJ and constructed by John Sisk & Son’s the new laboratory is surrounded by bio-diverse landscaped gardens including a wildlife meadow that received a CIRIA biodiversity BIG challenge award in 2017. The BBSRC National Vaccinology Centre is part of wider redevelopment of Pirbright’s scientific campus, which is the result of £350 million pounds of strategy capital investment by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The Jenner Building, named after Edward Jenner who successfully eradicated smallpox through the discovery of an effective vaccine, features open plan laboratories that can each house between 6 and 30 scientists, encouraging interaction and collaboration.
Director of Capability Mike Johnson said: “This award for the BBSRC National Vaccinology Centre: The Jenner Building is a testament to the huge amount of consideration that goes into the design of all the Institute’s new facilities to ensure that they are aesthetically beautiful while delivering functionality and energy efficiency. The Jenner Building provides a fantastic design vision of the future intent for development on the Pirbright site.”
Main picture: The BBSRC National Vaccinology Centre: The Jenner Building. Photograph by Richard Chivers