Construction and Refurbishment

Construction & Refurbishment – Sustainability Strategy and Targets

We recognise that construction and refurbishment of buildings provides the ideal opportunity to make design decisions which enhance the energy performance and sustainability credentials of a property and in our policy we commit to considering appropriate sustainable construction, energy and water efficiency opportunities in the design, modification, and refurbishment of new and
existing facilities and maintenance practices where practical. Within our Environmental Energy Management System (EEMS) we have also set an objective to reduce the environmental impact of the institution’s capital projects (see objective 8 of our Environmental Objectives).

As such, we have set a SMART target for the construction and refurbishment of buildings as part of our strategy for implementing the Environmental and Energy objectives in our policy, using the BREEAM standard as the specific measurable.

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Assessment Method) is a building assessment which uses scientifically-based sustainability metrics and indices covering a range of environmental categories. Its categories evaluate energy and water use, health and wellbeing, pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology, and management processes. Buildings are rated and certified on a scale of ‘Pass’, ‘Good’, ‘Very Good, ‘Excellent’ and ‘Outstanding’.

Our previous target which was introduced in 2014 was for all newly constructed and refurbished buildings across our London Road, Whiteknights and Greenlands campuses to achieve a ‘very good’ BREEAM rating, or better. Our new SMART target is to achieve an ‘excellent’ BREEAM rating for all new and refurbished buildings across all three campuses. In terms of timeframes, this has been introduced as a formal target as part of our new estates strategy which runs from 2022 to 2032, and the target BREEAM rating is required to be attained by the time of building/project completion for each new build or refurbishment project.

In addition to BREEAM ratings, we use the principles of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS) to inform the design of our buildings and support our ambition to achieve net zero carbon. The UKNZCBS is the UK’s cross-industry standard for defining and demonstrating net zero carbon buildings, providing a consistent framework for reducing both operational and embodied carbon emissions throughout a building’s lifecycle.

Development is primarily focussed on refurbishment and reuse of existing space. Although being delivered by a 3rd party, the new European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) headquarters is currently being planned for development on a brownfield site on the Earley Gate side of the University’s Whiteknights campus.

Progress against this target is tracked.  We currently have limited refurbishment and construction projects in progress:

  • School of Art refurbishment and extension: project was completed in September 2023 and is currently being assessed for its BREEAM rating. It is on track to achieve a ‘Good’ rating. The design of this project has been informed by the principles of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS).
  • URS building refurbishment: this is the next major refurbishment project. This is currently at the planning stage, which is targeting Very Good BREEAM standard, due to the physical make up of this listed building, any higher would not be achievable. Construction will start 2025/26  financial year and complete 2027/28, following with occupation the Autumn semester of 2028. The design of this project has been informed by the principles of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS).
  • European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) building: Funded by the UK Government through the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the project has high sustainability aspirations and is designed to achieve a UK BREEAM Excellent rating with an aspiration to be a Net Zero Carbon project.

A list of our previously assessed buildings is provided below, along with the rating attained and a link to the corresponding BREEAM certificate.

Last review date: June 2026, next review date: June 2027