Morgan Sindall cleared to start UEA's low carbon paragon

To be built by Morgan Sindall, it has been designed by architects Architype, BDP Engineers and Churchman Landscape Architects to become the first commercial building to achieve both the Passivhaus and BREEAM outstanding standards. The scheme also aspires to set new standards for embodied energy and the use of materials from renewable sources.

The Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia (UEA) will houses a mix of academic teaching and enterprise functions on the Norwich Research Park.

The timber- and glulam-framed building will have a locally-sourced Brettstapel-constructed lecture theatre with cladding panels prefabricated from Norfolk straw and reed.

Construction starts this summer. The Enterprise Centre aims to open its doors in January 2015.

Forming part of Architype and Churchman Landscape Architect’s larger masterplan for the area, the new building is described as an interface between the historic Earlham Hall, park and university campus. It is the first stage of a wider 5,700 sq m development of enterprise and academic accommodation, which has also been granted outline planning permission by Norwich City Council.

Architype associate director Ben Humphries, lead designer for the project, said: “We are delighted that Norwich City Council has granted planning permission for this exciting and innovative piece of architecture.  The building provides the campus with a fantastic new gateway building, and proudly announces the university’s intent to lead the way in low carbon innovation.”

This landmark project is part-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund, in addition to funding from UEA, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBRSC), Norwich Research Park (NRP) and the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

The project is the latest in a line of Passivhaus developments in and around Norwich, including Hastoe Housing’s completed scheme in Ditchingham, Broadland Housing’s scheme on site in Fulmodeston, and Broadland’s planned 250-unit Carrow Road development.

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