Access

The main entrance to the building is accessed from Founders Green. This is at a slightly higher level to the entrance and so steps and a ramp will be provided side-by-side, offering compliant access to the entrance doors.

Entrance

The current north elevation of the Lasdun Wall can be read as the ‘back’ of the building. This contrasts with its southern ‘front’ where entrances are approached from the raised walkway. The proposed creation of a new entrance on the north elevation necessitates an appropriate landscape design response. However, in contrast to the south elevation which faces onto the urban square, the north elevation is within a greener landscape setting. This provides scope for a different approach which is softer and more appropriate within the backdrop of existing trees.
A high-quality aesthetic will be achieved by: the entrance podium which is under cover of the  building; the new steps and ramp emulating the existing raised walkway; and the quality and finish of materials used.

Building Servicing

The north elevation must sensitively incorporate services and infrastructure which, for scientific uses, are technically complex and can be aesthetically unappealing. This includes storage of gases and non-hazardous waste, building services and vehicle access. These will be separated from the entrance by a floor level, with servicing located at the lower ground level. As a brutalist building, the location of service areas at the lower level is typical on campus. Even so, screening from pavement and from upper floors will be used to sensitively reduce visual clutter.

Wider Setting

From the outset of the project the existing trees were considered when developing the building footprint. As such, the number of trees to be removed has been minimised as far as possible. In the wider landscape the ‘parkland’ setting of grassland and trees will be retained to support the original campus vision, of urban edges contrasting with a rolling landscape.

Biodiversity

Replacement tree planting is proposed to enhance the parkland setting where appropriate. A native meadow swale with linear check dams is proposed to aid sustainable drainage and enhance biodiversity. A net gain in biodiversity of 10% will be achieved – the site is very constrained, so where this cannot be achieved within the development boundary, enhancements will be made elsewhere on campus.