Background
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom’s leading centre for polar research. Its mission is to deliver the highest quality insights into the state of the polar regions — understanding how and why they are changing, and what these changes may mean for the future.
Project Scope
BAS operates from its UK headquarters located on Madingley Road in Cambridge. Originally constructed in 1975, the facility has undergone two extensions and now accommodates offices, laboratories, workshops and logistics warehousing to support BAS’s scientific and exploratory missions in Antarctica.
However, the current buildings and laboratories no longer reflect the national and international stature of BAS’s research activities. The estate is in urgent need of renovation, rationalisation and decarbonisation.
CCTech is contributing to a broader multidisciplinary team, bringing specialist laboratory expertise to the project. Their role includes developing the laboratory project brief, compiling a schedule of accommodation, preparing the user requirements specification (URS), and reviewing and advising on emerging design options — all as part of the wider effort to modernise and decarbonise the estate.
CCTech’s Role
CCTech is working closely with the various science teams as the Laboratory Consultant on the redevelopment of the existing Cambridge site, as part of a wider multidisciplinary design team.
- Information Gathering: A key principle in CCTech’s approach is the emphasis placed on fully understanding the scientific aspirations of the client institution. These ambitions form the foundation for all development planning.
- Deepening the Engagement Process: To expand and clarify the information gathered, CCTech facilitated face-to-face interviews, meetings and workshops with stakeholders, enriching the depth and quality of insight.
- Analysis: In reviewing the information collected, CCTech considered multiple factors, including the condition of the current laboratory estate, opportunities to foster scientific collaboration and sustainability, and strategies to create flexible, future-ready laboratory spaces.
- Key Outputs: The primary deliverables included the Project Brief, Schedule of Accommodation, and User Requirement Specifications (URS). These were integrated to produce the Development Plan (Initial Project Brief) aligned with RIBA Stage 1. This document outlined two to three practical and forward-looking design options.