The project involves the rationalisation of the site with a phased implementation of replacing the existing activities in new facilities.
Careful masterplanning was required to maintain the continued operation of existing buildings.
The brief required that the new buildings should cohesively resolve the fragmented nature of the existing site, and provide new opportunities for social and scientific interaction. We developed the masterplan so that these objectives could operate both at site level and within individual buildings.
Two new bold site landscape axes are generated to focus the outlook from the buildings and to define circulation between them. The internal layouts consist of modular laboratory blocks set at right angles to each other and connected by an “interaction” core with entrance, security, primary circulation, meeting and refreshment functions in a ‘breakout’ area.
The accommodation is designed as an aggregate of modular units designed to be repeatable horizontally and vertically (two storeys) with the facility for all first floor laboratories to attain ACDP Class 3 containment standard (in one building, SAPO Class 4 containment standard).
The need to provide a contained and secure first floor led to a two-storey plantroom solution. The lower plant level is dedicated to Class 3 distribution and HEPA safe change filter areas. This allows all maintenance to be undertaken from outside the containment zones.
The upper plantroom storey houses the main air handling plant.