February 2008

AJA have won planning permission for the new Institute of Reproductive Sciences.

Institute of Reproductive SciencesThe building will house the Oxford Fertility Unit (one of the most successful IVF units in the UK) along with the associated state-of-the-art clinical and research laboratories, an integrated facility for Oxford University's reproductive science research department and a conference suite - all under one roof.

The building will occupy a brownfield site overlooking the Oxford Science Park, a regional focus for hi-tech R&D businesses which has a whole cluster of new office buildings. Where it differs from these business park neighbours is in its approach to sustainability and in its skin:

  1. Much attention has been focussed on how to make a building which absolutely has to have highly serviced spaces as green as possible: in fact the number of spaces needing treated air can be reduced to a minimum, and the building is largely naturally ventilated.
  2. The building eschews the usual approach of applying a cladding system with an exo-skeleton of solar shading devices. Here a new approach is taken: the building is wrapped in a masonry skin which is strongly modelled with deep cut-outs and tall thin fins to protect the windows from the sun. This thick masonry envelope will perform all the cladding jobs in one, with no need for maintenance and with serious longevity.