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The key findings:.The substructure used 50% cement replacement, used recycled aggregates from the demolition on site and procured the concrete locally.

In addition, the basement volume was reduced which minimised the excavation and material usage resulting in a combined 46% improvement compared with the Business as Usual scheme..The P-DfMA approach significantly reduced embodied carbon of the superstructure.This is due to the reduction in steel weight.

Once the concrete mix was taken into account, the use of 40% GGBS and local procurement, and 26% recycled content of steel the savings are circa 60%..The embodied carbon within the façade increased compared with initial projections.

This is partly due to the anodized finish of the aluminium frame curtain walling (this couldn’t be altered due to the extant planning permission) and partly because the façade was manufactured in Poland – a country with both many transport miles and an electricity grid predominantly fuelled by coal..

The internal finishes and walls performed well due to the limited quantity of materials used.It’s not unusual to have an extremely busy ceiling void, so it is important to start with the drainage and then the ventilation.

We have to bear in mind the coordination below the ceiling too, with dropping services, wall-mounted isolation and panels, shut-off valves and emergency stop buttons, all competing for space on the walls.Internal windows will be needed in labs with dangerous atmospheres to ensure line of sight for occupant safety, which will further impact the below ceiling coordination.

While external windows will need to be maintained to introduce daylight, this can lead to solar heat gains.Blinds can be used but they can trap dirt, so we will place them between secondary glazing.