Richard Doll Building, OxfordThe new Trials and Epidemiology Building is named in honour of Sir Richard Doll, whose work correlated smoking to lung cancer. The project is part of the University's Medical Sciences Campus - the building houses some of the country's top cancer researchers; it provides epidemiologists and medical statisticians with a major new base and facilitates the large-scale collaborative projects in which they specialise. It was constructed at the Churchill Hospital and accommodates offices, flexibly designed laboratories, research and teaching spaces, a 160-seat lecture theatre, and a café. The large bespoke facility consists of four primary components - a main spine running east to west, and three wings extending south from it at right angles. Between the three wings sit two large, light-filled atria, which are used as ‘break-out’ social areas. The whole sequence is linked together by a series of staircases and bridges, which run across the atria and along a glazed circulation route. Constructed on a concrete frame, the building's main external concrete walls are rendered in white; granite cladding forms a base. The southern ends of the atria and the exposed areas of the circulation spine are fully glazed, and are protected from the summer sun by a screen of horizontal tubes. The openable windows elsewhere are protected from the sun by horizontal external aluminium fins. The highly sensitive laboratory areas are separated from other activities, and are the only areas of the building not to be naturally ventilated. The offices' coffered concrete structure is left exposed, providing a thermal sink that helps to maintain even temperatures. Heating and cooling are available but outside the laboratory areas are only activated in extreme conditions. The teaching spaces are integrated within the research areas, where special care was taken to achieve a good acoustic environment. |
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