Sainsbury Laboratory in Cambridge University was presented at the AT Awards live finals on 7 November 2022 at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health to a jury comprising, Heather Topel, Asif Din, Amin Taha, Farshid Moussavi, Matt Kennedy, and Chair Lee Mallett. Read about how the project has stood the test of time, below.
Sociable circulation spaces are designed to foster interaction and collaboration. Credit: Hufton and Crow
Collaborative, light-filled, energy efficient and ultra-flexible, Stanton Williams’ Sainsbury Laboratory is an exemplary facility for plant-based science. Located within Cambridge University’s Grade II*-listed Botanic Garden, the 11,000-square-metre building includes laboratories, support areas and meeting spaces connected by an interior ‘thinking path’ and organised around a landscaped courtyard.
A flexible framework has been achieved by carefully zoning the plan to allow different ‘frequencies of change’, with highly specialised spaces positioned close to service cores or in basement areas. Support spaces adjacent to the laboratories can be easily reconfigured, while laboratories can be readily switched into computational areas or general work suites.
The building is a popular addition to the Grade II* listed Botanic Garden, expressing a strong link between the history of plant research and its future. Credit: Hufton and Crow
Rated BREEAM ‘Excellent’, the project significantly exceeds energy rating targets for laboratory buildings. It was assessed under the requirements of Part L 2006 and achieved a Building Emission Rate of 19.56kg/m2 – a 29.6 per cent improvement over the Target Emission Rate.
This was subsequently checked for the as-constructed building, where a 28 per cent improvement was attained. These results are the product of high levels of insulation and airtightness in the façades and roof, efficient heating, cooling and ventilation systems, good daylighting, and rainwater harvesting, says the architect.
The project’s success is also evidenced by the POE, which recorded user satisfaction and placed the laboratory spaces on the 95th percentile measured against other laboratory buildings, with users identifying the environment as increasing their productivity.
Having control over all aspects of the laboratory’s design, from architectural concept to equipment, furniture, and commissioned artworks, has resulted in a building with an exceptional level of coherence. This strong identity was particularly important in establishing the new institution within the university and attracting the best scientists from around the world.
