How does treating a research facility as a living, adaptable platform - rather than a static building - benefit both its carbon footprint and its users?
Partner Luke Spence and Structural Engineer Emily Appleton from Price & Myers collaborated with Morgan Sindall Construction, Beyond Carbon, Ridge and Partners LLP, and BondBryan:Fairhursts on a research paper exploring a new approach to economical office and lab space in the UK.
FUSE - Flexible. Upgradeable. Sustainable. Ecosystem - reframes science space as a living platform: a high-performing workplace designed to evolve. By avoiding day-one overspecification, it reduces both embodied and operational carbon, shortens delivery timelines, and remains cost-accessible from the outset. Structure, services, and fabric are aligned around a lean baseline, with clear enhancement pathways - whether for airflow, building services, or vibration performance - without preloading unnecessary cost or carbon.
By layering essential infrastructure with built-in adaptability, the model reduces upfront capital expenditure while sustaining long-term performance. The result is a building that is lower in embodied carbon, more cost-effective to operate, and faster to deliver. Critically, FUSE addresses the growing disconnect between rising construction costs and affordability for occupiers - offering a smarter, more responsible model for the future of research space.
Find out more: https://insights.morgansindallconstruction.com/story/fuse-economical-office-and-labs/page/1
