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Wates completes £200m Oxford University research facility
15 October 2025
The completed Life and Mind Building (LaMB) in Oxford, UK (Image courtesy of Wates)
UK-based contractor Wates has completed the £200 million Life and Mind Building (LaMB), one of the University of Oxford’s largest-ever construction projects.
Designed by architect NBBJ, the 25,000 sq m facility will house the university’s Biology and Experimental Psychology departments, alongside the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research. It brings together more than 2,400 students, academics and researchers in a single space.
Built to a BREEAM Excellent standard, the project incorporates air source heat pumps, rooftop solar panels, triple glazing and adaptive ventilation systems, with a target of achieving net zero operational carbon by 2030.
Offsite manufacturing techniques were used extensively, including preassembled cladding systems and factory-fitted components.
Delivered by Wates Construction with MEP specialist SES, the project also included SES’s largest prefabricated plantroom to date.
Other companies involved in the project included Arup as project manager, Arcadis as cost consultant, Ramboll as civil and structural engineer, and Hoare Lea as building services engineer.
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