Green Gown Awards 2016 – Built Environment – University of Brighton - Finalist

Sustainable refurbishment of the Cockcroft Building, University of Brighton

In repurposing the Cockcroft Building for the University of Brighton, one of the largest retrofits of an occupied academic building in the UK, Fraser Brown MacKenna Architects were tasked with transforming a building designed for the Atomic Age into a research environment for the Information Age.

An innovative approach integrating architectural, building services and structural design has unlocked the environmental potential of the 10,500m² building and enhanced this with the latest technology, including an aquifer thermal energy store, potentially reducing energy demand, C02 emissions and fuel savings.

We transformed the building from a dark, cellular and unloved space into a bright, flexible learning and research environment, fit for the information age, with ‘learning labs’ and agile workspace for staff and students.  

Top 3 learnings

1 A transformational ‘green’ refurbishment benefits from high levels of staff and student engagement to realise the full benefits of the project

2 Having an explicit carbon reduction/energy efficiency targets at the outset drove the design and delivery of an energy efficient refurbishment of the building

3 Undertaking research and exploring new approaches to energy efficiency, such as the ATES technology, at an early stage with stakeholders provides an opportunity for early engagement in the ‘green’ innovation drive of the project.

CO2t Savings: 337 tonnes/yr   
Actual/Estimated: Estimated
No. of yrs: annually