Crick secures BREEAM Excellent certification

The recently-completed Francis Crick Institute in London has achieved BREEAM Excellent certification.

The £650m centre is one of the biggest biomedical laboratories in Europe, with space for 1,500 staff.

Aecom delivered BREEAM services for the project, plus the environment impact assessment. Laing O’Rourke was main contractor.

The Crick Institute’s energy strategy included a combined heat and power plant and photovoltaic array with over 800 custom-built solar panels, capable of generating around 200,000 kWh per year.

The building also features low-flow water fittings and individual presence detectors to minimise potable water use. The laboratory and write-up spaces were designed to maximise occupant comfort and staff collaboration, with access to daylight and occupant controls, allowing control of the local environment.

Aecom also delivered a range of assessments including air quality, noise, ecological, ground conditions, water resources, waste and recycling, socio-economics and transport.

John Hicks, director and head of government and public at Aecom, said: “The Francis Crick Institute is a great example of how state-of-the-art laboratories and science facilities can achieve world-leading standards for sustainability and energy efficiency. The Institute and the project team were committed to working towards BREEAM Excellent from the outset.”

The Francis Crick Institute welcomed its first scientists in late 2016. It was formed as a consortium of some of the biggest UK scientific and academic organisations, including the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.