ISG has secured a contract to refurbish and extend the University of Oxford’s Tinbergen Building, improving facilities and create new chemistry teaching laboratories.

The Tinbergen Building is currently home to the university’s Department of Experimental Psychology and Department of Zoology

It was designed by Sir Leslie Martin and named after Nikolaas Tinbergen, joint winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

ISG will start on site in early summer to carry out a phased refurbishment of the existing four-storey precast concrete building – encompassing circa 600,000 sq ft of space. The contractor will also build and fit out a new three-storey structure for the Department of Chemistry.

ISG will use silent sheet piling installation methods to enable the basement level to be excavated for the new build element of the scheme.

New chemistry teaching laboratories will include 60 fume cupboards, each with separate extract outlets.

Sustainable measures include the installation of external solar shading, an extensive roof-mounted photovoltaic panel array, advanced heat recovery system and connection into the university’s combined heat and power (CHP) district heating system.

The scheme has been designed by Australian architect Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp. Project manager is CPC Project Services.

Paul Sharp, divisional director of ISG’s Engineering Services business, said: “Schemes like the Tinbergen Building require a contractor that is experienced in technically demanding environments, offering an end-to-end solution with a highly engineered response to complex challenges, such as vibration restrictions, services continuity and safe extract of gases.

“ISG’s niche expertise in this sector and our proven track record delivering new build and operational refurbishments gives us a richly compelling market proposition, which sees us securing an increasing volume of quality opportunities with customers operating some of the most highly engineered and technologically advanced buildings in the UK.”