University of Oxford | Department of Earth Sciences

Clegg provided structural engineering services to the University of Oxford’s Earth Sciences building. This included the design of the precast cladding units.

Delivering a modern, flexible space to optimise research opportunities and strengthen the department’s international profile. We provided accommodation for 400 students, researchers and staff, with metal-free ‘clean’ laboratories, lecture theatres, conference rooms, offices and a library.

We assisted with the various designs of the precast panels. We mimicked the geology of the local area. For this reason, the Architect specified two different styles of external cladding.

The most durable stone was selected, the final design having geometric bands of Clipsham, Jura and Purbeck that create a dramatic ‘narrative wall’ to frame the entrance and advertise the nature of the work within. This distinctive narrative wall was carefully selected by geologists in the Department.

Initially, the precast begins offsite, thus minimising waste and improving programme delivery times. This method of construction eliminated the need for bricklayers.

We provided a detailed design package for Laing O’Rourke’s Explore Manufacturing Facility. This fixed the panels to the concrete framed building.

Integrated into the building is the specialist infrastructure required for ultra-clean geochemistry laboratories, experimental petrology and large computational facilities, alongside more generic spaces for write-up and relaxation. Internally the building is structured around a simple relationship diagram of laboratory wing and office wing, divided by the narrative wall and with an atrium acting as a hinge between them.

The laboratory wing has four floors of laboratory space, flexibly planned to allow research groups to expand and contract in response to changing research avenues and funding and includes a series of specialist research spaces including metal-free labs for geochemistry.

The second floor was designed with removable windows so that a particularly large mass spectrometer could be craned into position after the building was completed. The ground floor contains undergraduate teaching and common areas, a library, a lecture theatre and display space, while the senior common room is located on the top floor. This has views over central Oxford from its roof terrace and is regarded as essential in encouraging interaction and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas amongst the staff.