The Discovery Building will be a new world-class scientific support and operations facility at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica. This cutting-edge building has been designed with a focus on sustainable and environmental design and will house both the science and operations teams at the UKs largest Antarctic research station.
Work began on constructing the new building in 2019 as part of the wider Rothera Modernisation project with the building expected to be completed in 2025.
The Discovery Building was named in 2019 to mark the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica. The construction of the Discovery Building was started in that year.
A new scientific support and operations facility
This new two-storey facility (4,500m2) enables scientific support and operations functions to work together under one roof. The Discovery Building replaces a number of older buildings that have reached the end of their life.
The new facility includes:
Plant room and energy centre to recover used heat and distribute power to the station, provide fresh water, and house fire suppression pumps
Central store to consolidate equipment and cargo stores on station for more effective stock control and efficient cargo management with reduced manual handling
Workshops and preparation areas for managing equipment and cargo for support science and field expeditions
New operations hub and offices to support the whole station
Operations tower to manage communications with deployed Antarctic field groups and aircraft
New medical centre designed to modern healthcare standards
Improved training facilities including a climbing wall for expedition teams and an education centre
Enhanced wellbeing areas including gym, breakout areas, music centre and arts and crafts facility
Backup systems for life support and operations
These facilities will be moved to the new building:
Operations
Field Operations
The workshop, carpentry shed, garage and generator shed
Exterior design features
Thermally efficient building envelope which will save in energy/cost
Wind deflector, the largest of its kind in the Antarctic. This minimises the accumulation of snow around the building by redirecting wind flow on the sheltered side to scour snow
Octagonal control tower provides 360-degree views of the runway, wharf, and station buildings
The building’s light colour minimises solar heat transfer to its steel envelope which helps to maintain weathertightness
Interior design features
An end-to-end corridor through the 90m building which reduces the need to access various parts of the building from outside, minimising heat loss
A central store located in the middle, providing easier access for all building users
Multi-functional spaces and zones for efficient use throughout the year including when the number of occupants decreases during the Austral Antarctic Winter
Designed with operational safety and wellbeing in mind including workspaces, breakout areas, training facilities and roof lights to increase natural light
Health and safety features with transparent glazed screens between spaces to increase visibility and distinct colours to quickly identify sections of the building
Modular design so the building can be adapted for future needs
Feedback from our field staff helped to inform the interior design to enhance working conditions and the strong community spirit needed for working in Antarctica.
Minimising the impact on the environment
We are committed to making sure that the long-term impact of the new Discovery Building on the Antarctic environment is minimal.
Features to improve energy efficiency and reduce our carbon emissions include:
New Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant with expected 25% reduction in station carbon emissions
Installation of photovoltaic solar panels
Thermally efficient building envelope to minimise energy use, with triple glazing and composite insulated metal panels
Central store to reduce manual handling and ensure an efficient supply
Improved zoning of building functions reduces energy consumption by minimising time spent accessing different areas
The location and orientation of the building reduces the amount of resource needed for snow clearing
The Rothera Renewable Energy Project is currently investigating how to reduce the carbon footprint of the station and ways to transition to renewable energy systems.
To make sure that we meet the highest environmental and sustainability standards, we are using a bespoke BREEAM accreditation and assessment system. This has been developed by BAS with support from Ramboll in collaboration with the Building Research Establishment (BRE).
Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme
The Discovery Building is part of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation (AIM) Programme, Commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), a component of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), this long-term programme will enable a world-leading capability to ensure that Britain remains at the forefront of climate, biodiversity and ocean research in the Polar Regions.
The Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) is a collaborative partnership responsible for the design and construction of major infrastructure projects. These include the Discovery Building and new Site Wide Services (a distribution network of hot water, seawater and fuel pipework, data and power cables, bridge crossings, pedestrian walkways, and stairs).
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