The sustainability-focused design, construction and operation of Jesus College’s new Cheng Yu Tung Building, located on Cornmarket Street in the heart of Oxford, means it will be one of the city centre’s first fully zero carbon buildings.

Jesus College is edging closer to the completion of this major development, its largest expansion since the 17^th century. The building, which will provide the College with additional postgraduate accommodation, teaching spaces, exhibitions and conferencing facilities and a high-tech Digital Hub, is currently scheduled to be finished in late spring.

 

Renewable energy technologies – such as ground source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels and a heat recovery and cooling system – have been utilised to ensure the building’s energy consumption is zero carbon. Exceptional window design, combined with the building’s physical orientation, allows maximum natural light throughout the year, and, when the lights are switched on, high-efficiency LED lighting has been installed throughout.

 

Wherever possible, the building has been developed using high-tech materials from sustainable and recycled sources. For example, recycled aggregates have been added to the building’s concrete floor slabs to maximise its strength while minimising concrete usage, and the cross-laminated timber (CLT) that forms the structure of the upper floors derives from sustainable forests in Germany. In addition, the College’s construction partners BAM have followed best practise waste management processes to reduce the generation of construction waste, and minimise the proportion of waste diverted to landfill.

The College’s Property Director, David Stevenson, says, “Environmental sustainability is a key priority for Jesus College, and at the heart of the new building’s design and construction. It forms part of a wider strategy to reduce our carbon footprint across all our buildings, infrastructure and activities, including reducing our energy consumption, adopting renewable energy solutions to meet our energy needs, and managing our waste and water consumption.”

Progress on the College’s new building continues at pace. The postgraduate accommodation and new fourth quad are completed, and final works to the Tower Room – a stunning new events and exhibition space with panoramic views across the city – is almost finished. Scaffolding is being struck on the Market Street elevation of the building, allowing the local community a further view of how the finished building will look.

 

Internally, the fit out of key spaces continues, including the development of the new NHS Primary Care Centre in the building’s basement, which will provide a new home for three local GP surgeries.

David says, “When we began the development of the Northgate site back in September 2019, no one could have predicted a global pandemic and the challenges that emerged as a result. But both the College project team and our construction partners BAM have continued to work throughout. We have a wide range of trades currently onsite, from electricians to stonemasons, and all are working hard to ensure the building is finished to the highest possible standards. The College is excited to now see the Cheng Yu Tung Building is coming together and we’re greatly looking forward to opening it later in the year.”

To read more about Jesus College’s environmental sustainability work, click here.