Biosciences Research Building
Client: National University of Ireland, Galway
Main Contractor: JJ Rhatigan
Value €30m
Opened 2013
Committee on the Environment Top Ten Projects 2016 - CLICK HERE
Irish Building & Design Awards - 2017 Winners - CLICK HERE
This multi award winning building (AIA Committee on the Environment top ten projects 2016, Irish Building & Design Awards 2017: School Building of the year - Winner) incorporates 8,000 square metres of high-end laboratory space over three floors. Specialised core support facilities are shared by all research functions allowing the labs to be open, flexible laboratory studios that promote interaction.
An initial goal of the BRB team was to design a landmark building for cutting-edge research in terms of program efficiency, energy conservation and thermal comfort. This led to a ''minimum energy'' approach that resulted in a superior working environment with a radically lower energy profile. The building has since proven to be one of the most energy efficient buildings of its type in the world which, since opening, has demonstrated a 72% reduction in energy usage, when compared to peer research facilities.
The space is organised into four distinct zones:
The building provides flexible and scalable high-technology science research space for over 300 researchers from eminent NUI Galway research groups working in the areas of cancer research, regenerative medicine and cell and molecular biology. This facility has become an important element of Ireland’s R&D infrastructure.
JJ Rhatigan (Main Contractor) Press release
“The project involved complex services and specialist equipment interface and required specialist commissioning works to be undertaken. A key requirement for the Bio Resource Unit (BRU) was that it must be run with all operating systems fully operational for a continuous 30 day period called the “Burn In”. The “Burn In” was overseen by a specialist commissioning company called The CUBE, that oversee the design and build of Bio Resource Units”
Greg Power, National University of Ireland Galway - Planning & Projects Officer
“CCTech advised on the layout and design of the biomedical unit of the SRB in consultation with the academic team and managers. They also developed and delivered the Commissioning and Validation programme together with the Clinical Clean and Vaporised Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP) sterilisation. Their expertise was invaluable for securing certification and the project was delivered on time and within budget.”
Design support for the Biomedical Research Facility with the development of the User Requirement Specification and Standard
Operating Procedures. As the project progressed we provided Validation and Regulatory Compliance, Burn-in and Soft Landings.