Buildings and development

We recognise the challenge of expanding and renewing our facilities for learning, whilst reducing our overall impact on the environment. We will design and embed sustainability standards into all new builds and refurbishment projects to mitigate these impacts, whilst evaluating ways to reach net zero emissions buildings.

Building sustainably

The University of Surrey has over 300 buildings ranging from 1960s buildings with poor thermal performance to modern state-of-the-art halls of residence that achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’. The challenge for the University is to balance the energy performance of new developments with operational needs. These spaces should promote wellbeing and productivity, encompass flexible design and consider the embodied carbon of materials used.

The University follows a set of Sustainable Construction Principles (docx), and has committed to achieving BREEAM 'Very Good' in all new buildings with an aspiration to achieve ‘Excellent’. The University will include BREEAM water standards to minimise water use within its new builds and refurbishments in line with the 'Very Good' and 'Excellent' standard.

Successes so far include:

Our Manor Park residences were awarded a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating and incorporate technologies such as energy-efficient lighting, occupancy sensors, high levels of insulation, combined heat and power technology and weather-compensated controls.
The Surrey Sports Park, which opened in 2010, is rated BREEAM 'Very Good' and is heated by a biomass boiler using woodchip sourced from locally managed woodlands. Newly installed pool covers help conserve overnight heat by reducing evaporative losses.
The University has almost 100kW of roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels installed across a series of buildings including the 5G/6G Innovation Centre, the James Clerk Maxwell building used by the Institute for Communication Systems, the Advanced Technology Institute, the Innovation for Health building, the Veterinary School Main building and the Library and Learning Centre and we have plans for more.

The University of Surrey commits to ensuring that all retro-fit projects will result in an improvement in efficiency, and we are working to incorporate and formalise this within our future procedures. Jo Bell, Director of Estates and Facilities

Campus investment

Our estate has been transformed throughout the years – including £130 million on student accommodation, £36 million on Surrey Sports Park, £16 million on the Library and Learning Centre and £4.5 million on the Ivy Arts Centre.

On top of this has come further investment in the form of a new £45 million School of Veterinary Medicine, £70 million support for the 5G/6G Innovation Centre, one of the world’s first research centres dedicated to mobile communications and future internet technologies, and the Kate Granger building, our new home for School of Health Sciences on Surrey Research Park.