New stateoftheart teaching and research facility certified as UKs largest nonresidential Passivhaus building

Our cutting-edge new Centre for Medicine building, built by contractor Willmott Dixon and designed by Associated Architects, has officially received Passivhaus Certification – officially making it the largest Passivhaus building in the UK.

Developed in Germany in the early 1990s, Passivhaus is the fastest-growing energy performance standard in the world and is set to reduce the University’s energy bill for its new teaching and research facility by six times, due to the excellent thermal performance of the building.

A key facet of Passivhaus is a ‘fabric first’ approach to construction and as such the building is incredibly well insulated and air tight to prevent heat leakage through the windows, walls, floor and roof. Comfort for staff, students and visitors from the local community and beyond, will be maintained by a state-of-the-art heating, cooling and ventilation system.

The Centre for Medicine will record a ‘-2’ energy performance asset rating, placing it in the ‘A⁺’ category and will even have its own green wall and roof, representing the University’s commitment to the environment. The green wall and roof will have a planting regime specifically designed to attract insects and birds which will help pollination and to promote bio-diversity. External planting will also help to reduce the overall temperature of the building.

A video issued by the University last year provides an insight into the environmental impact of the new building.

Acting as a hub to bring together, for the first time, the University’s leading academics, researchers, clinicians and students; currently spread across multiple sites in the city, the new Centre will completely transform medical teaching and improve the lives of many patients in the region and beyond.

The Centre for Medicine is the largest investment in medical teaching and applied research by a UK university in the last decade. The University has invested £32 million into the project and has launched the ambitious Centre for Medicine Appeal to raise an additional £10 million to complete the project.  The Centre will help to meet the demand for more capable and caring doctors and house applied research that will be at the forefront of improved patient safety and the fight against chronic disease.”

To make a donation to the Centre for Medicine Appeal, or for more information, please visit the website.

You can watch and share the Centre for Medicine building video here: