BBES services Stirling Prize winning building
M&E services for the 11 000 m2 Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, winner of the 2012 Stirling Prize for Architecture, were provided by Balfour Beatty Engineering Services in a £13 million package. The aim of the 2-storey laboratory is to elucidate the regulatory systems underlying plant growth and development, and it integrates a number of sustainable initiatives to help it achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.
There are 1000 m2 of solarPV panes and photocell-controlled electric lighting, which results in daylight providing the only general lighting for most of the working hours. Other solutions to reduce environment impact include rainwater harvesting and water monitors.
Environmental impact was also reduced using BBES’s Modular Systems + facility to deliver and install the plant room and 18 prefabricated risers. The risers contain modules for ductwork and pipework, which form a continuous ribbon around the L-shaped building
