BRE Innovation Centre
BRE Innovation Centre
We worked with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to reimagine the workspace and business accommodation across four of their buildings on their Research Campus, ranging in age from the 1950s to 1996. The BRE Campus is part of the Hertfordshire Enterprise Zone, created to provide a world class hub for businesses developing technology for a greener future. A key theme to the project was to support a cluster of innovative businesses supported by the research expertise and collaboration opportunities that exist throughout the Campus. The spaces created were to be adaptable with a strong emphasis on “long life, loose fit” design to ensure low whole life carbon.
We worked with architects Fielden Clegg Bradley to understand the existing site constraints and develop creative and sustainable designs to breathe new life into the existing buildings. Having developed a detailed understanding of the opportunities and constraints on the site, we then refurbished Building 17, a 1970s office block, to create 2,800m2 of rental space and 1,100m2 offices for BRE employees.
Our work involved careful appraisals to get under the skin of the existing building and investigate and test the reinforced concrete frame to inform the proposed alterations and repair strategy to be able to create a new vibrant and flexible, highly sustainable office, research and innovation centre.
The scheme also involved upgrading and renewing the services to significantly reduce the operational carbon of the building, We worked closely with the services engineer in identifying sympathetic and practical routes for new services that were practical to implement.
Client: BRE
Architects: Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios
Photos: Courtesy of the architect