The Molecular Science Research Hub building
The Molecular Sciences Research Hub is certified BREEAM Excellent and has won an S-LAB Award for its safe, successful and sustainable laboratories.

Aim

To consider sustainability at all stages of refurbishment and new building planning, and to work with architects and contractors to minimise the environmental impact of construction.

We will…

  • plan for our next academic building, The School of Public Health, on the White City Campus to be BREEAM excellent;
  • design buildings and infrastructure with low-cost, low-frequency maintenance and easy access to space, plant and equipment;
  • optimise passive design features, such as increasing daylight and natural ventilation and reducing heating and mechanical cooling, and increase the wellbeing of students, staff and visitors through improved building design;
  • maximise low and zero carbon technologies such as solar photovoltaic and ground source heat pumps;
  • carry out life cycle cost analysis of construction and refurbishment on all projects to ensure that sustainability considerations are taken into account;
  • benchmark all construction and refurbishment projects against ambitious external environmental performance certifications, for example the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors SKA Rating for Higher Education.

Measures of progress

  • Increase in percentage of new buildings of new buildings that are certified at least BREEAM Excellent or equivalent;
  • Increase in percentage of refurbishment projects that are certified at least BREEAM Very Good or equivalent;
  • External awards for sustainable construction and design;
  • Improvements in building energy efficiency.