The new Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) building is an extension to the existing Warwick Medical School. It accommodates a team of around 75 academics, researchers, programmers, statisticians and administrative support staff. Their requirement was for cellular office space for between one and eight persons with additional ancillary provision of meeting rooms and archive space. The function of the CTU is research rather than teaching - it is used to monitor the performance of different drug treatments and physical therapies.

The CTU has been awarded BREEAM Excellent status under the BRE Environmental Assessment Method and achieved an 'A' Energy Performance Rating with a very low emission of 17 kg of CO2 per floor area (m2) per year.

Sustainability strategies which inform the CTU's appearance are:
• zinc roof - to North lights and plant room roofs, used for rainwater recycling
• sedum roof - a planted ‘green’ roof is used to dissipate roof drainage and reduce the burden of surface water drainage systems thereby reducing the risk of flooding
• composite timber/double glazed cladding - high quality, high performance cladding using a sustainable structural material
• external solar shading - one of the most prominent characteristics of the CTU building is the vertical brise-soleils arranged along the East and West elevations. They are designed to shade the building from excess solar gain and thus avoid the need for mechanical air conditioning.

Client University of Warwick
Completion 2009
Cost £3.5m
Contract Type JCT.2005

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