Shepherd Construction has completed one of the most advanced high security bio-containment laboratories in the world, the £100m+ first phase of the new Pirbright Institute complex in Surrey.
The 11,065m² facility, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, will become a centre of excellence in the research and surveillance of virus diseases in farm animals, and viruses that spread from animals to humans.
Classified with a Category 4 level of bio-containment, the highest possible, the building is technically complex, yet Shepherd and its M&E arm, Shepherd Engineering Services, delivered it ahead of time and on budget.
The scheme, designed by HDR Architecture, includes a main laboratory building, comprising a central hub with north, east and west wings that accommodate the bio-containment labs, a gatehouse, energy centre and other infrastructure.
All materials and finishes in the laboratories went through rigorous chemical and fumigant testing
Staff can eat and relax in the cafeteria within the containment boundary
It represents a departure from traditional bunker-like CL4 containment facilities, because the labs and offices have large windows and expansive views, and staff can gather in an open light-filled atrium and eat in a cafeteria, all within the containment boundary. This new model is considered safer, more pleasant for staff, and should enhance research productivity.
Construction and engineering innovations include air tightness levels over 1,100 times higher than Building Regulations requirements. Before construction, a replica of a CL4 laboratory was built to enable the project team to visualise how the space would be used on a daily basis.
All materials and finishes to be installed within the laboratory went through chemical and fumigant testing, with a “zero failure” approach applied to every item used in the final build.
Mark Perkins, chief executive of Shepherd Group Built Environment, said: “The Pirbright Institute’s work towards the understanding and prevention of viral diseases in animals is vital and visionary. We are proud that it was UK, indeed Shepherd expertise in the built environment sector that helped to turn that vision into a world-class point of reference for exemplary and ground-breaking design and engineering.”
