Altering design to meet modern needs

Since its beginnings in 1917, the Weybridge-based research facility has grown in response to short-term needs, resulting in an array of buildings and infrastructure. The architectural vision aims to revitalise the site by consolidating its numerous smaller structures into two large science hubs, supporting the site’s long-term viability.

The site transformation has been underpinned by a clear vision and robust programme-level business case, which leveraged economic and strategic insights from our experts. Alongside this, our engineers conducted various assessments and surveys to identify and mitigate current and future risks, covering ecology, arboriculture and ground penetrating radar (GPR), among other things. These data insights were incorporated into the site’s masterplan, informing a future-proofed facility design.

Lexica, member of WSP, has supported the programme since 2018, working closely with Defra and APHA across strategic planning, programme management and technical delivery. The integrated support provided by our experts across the Capital, Transformation and Integrated Programme Management Offices (IPMOs) has been instrumental in shaping and delivering one of the UK’s most complex and high-profile science infrastructure programmes.

Key achievements

• Ensured effective quality assurance and programme integrity
• Aligned the programme with infrastructure planning, technical standards, and inter-programme interfaces
• Enabled coherent governance across Capital, Integration, and Programme Boards
• Supported the client in navigating strategic, technical, and operational complexity with confidence

With many components feeding into the project design, our team saw an opportunity to improve derisking and simplify complex information with first-of-a-kind, immersive visualisations. These digital solutions played an integral role in streamlining the construction programme as well as securing approval of the planning application and broader stakeholder support.

Our Visualisation Lead, Benjamin O’Connor says: “Given how big and complex this project is, we used 3D visualisations and VR models to create immersive walkthroughs of both the current and future site. This helped various stakeholders to clearly understand its transformation into a world-class biosecurity facility. We also used interactive 4D models to spot potential risks early on, making sure they were addressed in the design ahead of construction to avoid any costly issues.”

Additionally, digital systems have been proposed to capture and monitor live data on building usage, optimising building operations, energy consumption and occupant comfort. This includes a facility-wide analytics platform that can manage demand-based controls and feedback sensors. We’re also looking at integrating other systems, such as computer-aided facilities management, vertical transport and lighting system management to further enhance building efficiencies.

Animal disease outbreaks pose a significant threat to the UK. To ensure APHA is well-placed to continue its vital work protecting the UK against rising threats from animal diseases, it needs to upgrade its existing facilities. This includes the construction of two modern high containment laboratories, along with improved infrastructure and a new energy centre to replace out-of-date facilities. 

The new buildings will feature advanced biocontainment solutions, smart systems, and building alarms and monitoring systems. These enhancements will ensure the facility is equipped with the necessary measures to enable APHA to safely and securely respond to a full spectrum of zoonotic outbreaks.

As the UK’s main research and laboratory testing hub for animal diseases, it’s crucial that construction is carried out without impacting the facility’s operations. Using insights from our 4D model, our experts uncovered that a phased construction strategy would be the most optimal approach, allowing the construction programme to be divided into manageable sequences and transitions. This will incorporate a streamlined demolition plan and the use of temporary facilities to ensure the research facility remains operational throughout construction.

Dale Sinclair, our Head of Digital Innovation explained: “We’re looking to implement modern methods of construction across various components of the project, from low containment areas to facades, to reduce on-site waste and streamline the construction programme.”

Research facilities are key to accelerating medical and technical innovations but often have a significant carbon footprint. The National Biosecurity Centre aims to change this by harnessing a holistic, future-focused sustainability strategy.

Built around current environmental best practices and guidance for the built environment, the strategy creates a careful balance between sustainable outcomes and resilient operational functionality, safety and performance. The site will be transformed to be almost entirely electric, using a mix of heat recovery systems, large-scale baseload and local air-source heat pumps, along with solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions to meet most of the facility’s energy needs.