Joseph Priestley East Building
Services involved
Project Overview
This two-stage design and build project delivered a major new extension to the Joseph Priestley Building, creating three floors of new chemistry and biology super labs and a dedicated floor for Optometry teaching and examination. The new Science Teaching Laboratories have significantly enhanced the way Physical Sciences are taught at the University of Huddersfield.
We helped shape facilities that support modern, flexible teaching. The largest super labs provide eight rows of fully serviced island benching, each accommodating up to 16 students, with multiple AV setups allowing different classes to be taught simultaneously. This approach has improved space efficiency and enabled shared technician support across multiple groups.
Mechanical & Electrical Services
We were appointed to support design development, reviewing initial M&E proposals and working closely with the University and contractor teams to finalise the construction design. We then acted as the NEC3 Supervisor, carrying out regular quality checks and overseeing the testing and commissioning of all systems.
A major focus was improving ventilation efficiency. Our analysis led to a redesigned approach: fume cupboard extraction was linked to lab occupancy, with a separate system provided for solvent cabinets. This allows ventilation to reduce or switch off when spaces are unused, cutting energy consumption without affecting safety.
We also ensured the controls strategy allowed fume cupboards to run independently for specific experiments and optimised natural daylighting through glazing and lighting controls that dim or switch off artificial lighting when daylight is sufficient.
The project was shortlisted for the Innovation in Teaching and Learning Award at the Education Estates Awards.
