Strengthening the UK’s Biosecurity Infrastructure
BMJ Architects is part of the Technical Partner multidisciplinary team working with end users to design the National Biosecurity Centre in Weybridge for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Concept and Strategy
The programme will play a vital role in strengthening UK biosecurity, protecting human and animal health, and safeguarding trade, food, farming, the environment and the wider economy.
BMJ is contributing specialist expertise to help transform the existing site into a world-class science hub, including high-containment in vivo laboratories. The project combines advanced scientific infrastructure with the resilience and reliability required for nationally significant biosecurity work.
The National Biosecurity Centre marks a new era for the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s laboratories at Weybridge. With future resilience and reliability at its core, the design uses cutting-edge digital and technical solutions to bring clarity to this 100-year-old site, paving the way for pioneering advancements in biosecurity.
Design Director of the National Biosecurity Centre
Sustainability and Environmental Performance
High-containment research facilities can carry a significant carbon impact. The National Biosecurity Centre responds through a comprehensive, forward-looking sustainability strategy that balances low-carbon performance with stringent safety, reliability and operational requirements.
The project aligns with the campus’s predominantly electric energy strategy, incorporating heat recovery systems, large-scale and local air source heat pumps, and onsite solar PV generation to provide the majority of the facility’s energy needs.
The design is rated BREEAM Excellent and EPC A+.
