The Enterprise Centre will be housed in a new building spanning up to 4000 square metres. The Enterprise Centre of NRP is expected to push the limits for sustainable approach of construction at the university. BDP, in association with Architype, will develop the most energy-efficient building of the university and is likely to achieve BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating, a 100 year design life and be Passivhaus-certified.
The building will be constructed using local materials and labour. The material palate for the new building will consist of wood, straw, rammed chalk, heather and flint. The timber for the development will be sourced from Thetford Forest. The straw will be sourced from Norfolk and will be used for the innovative prefabricated thatch panels.
The roof of the building will be lined with solar panels, which will generate green power, which will aid it in controlling carbon emission. Additional carbon efficiency will be rendered by solar thermal installation.
The building will host a new Centre for the Built Environment with an area dedicated to showcasing, monitoring and testing new sustainable products and bio-based materials from local companies. It will be used as the main demonstration project for the regional low carbon strategy to exemplify best practices in low carbon materials and design to the small business sector.
In addition, it will also house an early stage incubator for new start-up businesses to further enhance opportunities for UEA graduates and encourage staff across the NRP to start their own businesses.
The Enterprise Centre is scheduled to be built in 2013 and opened in 2014. The project is part-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (the largest single ERDF project in the region in the 2007-2015 funding round), in addition to funding from UEA, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and BRE.
