Design challenges for one of Europe’s tallest lab buildings

The newest addition to Imperial College London’s White City campus, The Sir Michael Uren Biomedical Engineering Hub, is one of Europe’s tallest laboratory buildings. Since the base build was completed in December 2019, end-users have started moving in to carry out life-changing research into new medical technology and scientific developments. Incorporating a mixture of office space, research labs, and space for future ultraclean operating suites, the centre will help people affected by a diverse range of medical conditions. Here Richard Walder of Buro Happold, the project’s MEP, façade, and fire design consultants, talks through the design challenges – particularly in terms of specialist ventilation – associated with putting a biomedical research centre in the heart of Imperial College’s new White City North campus.

The original aim of the Michael Uren building was to provide a centre for innovative and ground-breaking research in biomedical sciences. This commitment to innovation will be associated with the hub throughout its lifetime, and the project team tasked with creating the building was given clear instructions that its design and operation should be as impressive as the work going on inside it. The resulting 14-storey design was brought forward to create one of the tallest laboratory buildings in Europe, while 1,296 concrete fins weighing one tonne each were used to help produce a modern, striking façade. The crucial design feature, however, is one which can’t be viewed by those walking past – the inner workings of the building’s ventilation system are crucial to its operation, determining the safety of those working inside and others living and working in the dense urban surrounding area.

Safe dilution and dispersal