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Culham, Oxfordshire

NFTP Hub

UKAEA

Modern research building with large glass façades and surrounding landscaped area

Involved in the project from inception to completion, McBains was appointed by UKAEA to provide multi-disciplinary services to the design and delivery of a new office and scientific research facility at Culham Science Centre; delivering offices, a research hall, laboratories, shared energy centre and decked car park.

The facility provides accommodation for three centres of excellence - Hydrogen-3 Advanced Technology (H3AT), Fusion Technology Facilities (FTF) and Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) – that form the National Fusion Technology Platform (NFTP).

The c. 7,100m² building features collaborative office space, welfare and meeting facilities, together with industrial plant areas, labs and research accommodation.

Services

Architecture Building Services Engineering Civil & Structural Engineering Cost Management

Sectors

Science & Technology
Key Information

7,100

square metres

Three

centres of excellence

Research

& innovation hub

Our design solution houses the three centres of excellence in one building; leveraging economies of scale in terms of shared cores, welfare and common plant, whilst also providing a sizeable building with a powerful presence and identity on the wider campus. 

Conceptually, the building is formed of three key elements or ‘fingers’ running on the north / south axis of the site. These three fingers are all designed with the same width and spacing between and form the three centres of excellence. One of the fingers forms the research hall for H3AT; set up for tritium handling with active ventilation systems, over 4 levels, 16–18 m clear heights, 5T gantry crane, and laboratories. The remaining two fingers deliver workshops and non-active labs, assembly areas, test cells, open plan offices, flexible training rooms, meeting rooms / pods, reception space and breakout space. 

Modern breakout area with high tables, blue chairs, a wall-mounted screen and carpeted flooring
Modern research facility with grey cladding and a prominent red recessed entrance feature

The building is given a strong identity and presence on the site, through its orientation and location at the top of the site’s central boulevard. The choice of materials is intended to be simple yet contemporary. A wrap encloses the main office accommodation, with the ends glazed in conjunction with tapered feature panels aligning with the service zones internally. 

From a structural perspective, the building consists of a braced steelwork frame with composite metal deck at the first-floor level and a lightweight insulated metal deck solution for the roof. The floor structure uses cellular steel beams with openings coordinated with the services design. A multi-storey removable steel floor structure was developed to the Research Hall for future flexibility of large-scale experiments. The structure incorporates a gantry crane at the upper level to allow for movement of large scientific equipment. This approach led to a relatively lightweight structure enabling a ground bearing / pad solution to be adopted. This generated significant savings (time and programme) compared to a piled approach and shortened the overall construction programme. 

A collaborative BIM approach ensured that co-ordination was undertaken at an early stage with any potential issues designed out before arriving on site. This also enabled a detailed BIM model for use as part of the operations and maintenance manual strategy for the building’s lifetime.

The scheme targets a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating, with the building’s efficiency improved through the adoption of fabric-first measures and renewable energy. Minimising waste and selecting materials with high sustainability rating was also a priority. Sustainable measures include:

  • High thermal performance building fabric and windows
  • Effective shading devices designed depending on the solar orientation of each façade
  • Photovoltaic arrays located on the roof

A wide range of stakeholders for the project - from scientist end users to maintenance staff and property team members - meant we needed an adaptable approach to stakeholder engagement sessions to address each group in a way appropriate to their level of understanding, way of working and time constraints.  By spending time upfront understanding the various stakeholder priorities, we were able to deliver a solution which answered all parties' requests and needs. 

Industrial interior with exposed ductwork, polished floor, and bright yellow partition wall
Image gallery
Modern research building with large glass façades and surrounding landscaped area
Aerial view of a research facility showing building roofs, ventilation systems, solar panels, surrounding roads and landscaped areas
Industrial interior with exposed ductwork, polished floor, and bright yellow partition wall
Clean industrial interior with white block walls, grey flooring, and exposed overhead cable trays and ductwork
Bright, modern lobby with a reception desk, blue feature wall, staircase and tiled flooring
Modern staff kitchen and dining area with wooden chairs, tables and white cabinetry featuring an orange splashback
Modern office corridor with glass-partitioned meeting rooms, grey carpet and white walls
Modern office corridor with glass meeting-room partitions and grey carpet, featuring an orange accent wall inside one room
Bright staff kitchen and dining area with wooden tables and chairs, large windows, and white cabinetry with an orange splashback
Modern breakout area with high tables, blue chairs, a wall-mounted screen and carpeted flooring
Large modern meeting room with a central conference table, mesh chairs, blue feature wall and multiple screens
Modern breakout area with high tables, mixed seating, blue accent wall and large windows
Open-plan office with rows of desks, chairs, computer monitors and large windows providing natural light
Breakout lounge with modular grey seating, blue accent walls, colourful vertical window panels and round orange stools
Modern research facility with grey cladding and a prominent red recessed entrance feature
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