The Old Road Campus Research Building forms the gateway to the University of Oxford campus and houses six departments from the medical sciences and engineering divisions. United for the first time in one building, the departments specialise in vaccines, oncology, structural genomics, clinical pharmacology and biomedical engineering. One of the departments, the Jenner Institute, developed the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in 2020 and was at the forefront of Ebola vaccine trials in 2014.
Make designed the multipurpose, state-of-the-art facility to encourage interaction and collaboration between the different groups. Our design breaks the building down into three zones: laboratories, flexible space, and office and write-up space. These facilities are set around two atria that form the social heart of the four-storey structure, and offer a contemporary reinterpretation of a traditional university quad. These spaces feature dramatic ribbons of cast concrete staircases, a café and a knowledge centre, drawing people in and through the building.
Along with highly efficient plant that offers reduced energy consumption, we included an orientation-specific facade and a high-performance cladding system, both of which minimise solar gain. The latter features a distinctive spectrum of greens that visually harmonise with the mature planting surrounding the site. The building’s close proximity to Oxford’s main hospitals has resulted in strengthened links between cutting-edge research and clinical treatment.
The high-performance cladding system minimises solar gain and features a distinctive spectrum of greens that visually harmonise with the mature planting surrounding the site.
Within the social heart of the building are dramatic ribbons of cast concrete staircases.
By establishing a standard grid across 14,000m², we delivered a laboratory space that’s adaptable for years to come. We complemented this with a ‘courtyard’ atrium that provides a strong identity and heart.
The building unites six leading biomedical research institutions, and strengthens the links between research and clinical treatment. It currently houses the Jenner Institute, one of the largest centres in the world dedicated to non-profit vaccine research and leaders in the search for a Coronavirus vaccine.
