Norwich Research Park Enterprise Centre begins on site

University of East Anglia is building a £16million development aiming for Passivhaus and BREEAM outstanding certification, along with implementing low embodied carbon, providing up to 250 jobs in the immediate area.

Norwich Research Park Enterprise Centre aims to use locally sourced materials such as Thetford timber, Norfolk straw and heather, chalk, lime, hemp and flint, provided by businesses in the area. An innovative Brettstapel and timber panel structure is finished off with a rainscreen of prefabricated thatch panels. With an established best-practice benchmark for ‘embodied energy’ in university buildings of 845 kilos of CO2 per square metre (kgCO2e/m2), the goal for the Enterprise Centre is just 168.

The result of combining bio-based and carbon innovation leads to ‘breathable’ Passivhaus. Prof Wolfgang Feist made a visit to UEA campus earlier this year and pushed the message that Passivhaus is an energy standard, but you can use any material and adopt any style so long as it is energy efficient. His comments on the scheme were:

“This will be a convincing solution, not only on the energy issue, but also on the purpose of the building, which is the most important thing, always. I think this is one of the first [Passivhaus] university buildings that is going to be built, even in Europe, and it is quite interesting to see the enthusiasm and the imagination of the whole design team”

 

This project is part-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund, in addition to funding from UEA, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBRSC), Norwich Research Park (NRP) and BRE (Building Research Establishment).

• Architects: Architype,
• Main contractor: Morgan Sindall plc
• Planning Consultants: Bidwells Property Consultants

‘It’s the best brief we have ever read, with many onerous requirements.  Passivhaus certification, BREEAM outstanding, 100 year design life and low embodied carbon.’ Ben Humphries – Architype

For more information please visit:

Architype

adaptcbe

18th November 2013

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