The Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart & Lung Research Institute

The Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute brings together Europe’s largest concentration of researchers, scientists, and clinicians in cardiovascular and respiratory health. The vision for this building was an ambitious one, to bring together five leading units under one roof, and to physically connect their groundbreaking research to clinical care at the Royal Papworth Hospital.

The VPD-HLRI provides state-of-the-art facilities and a wellness-focused working environment that attracts global talent, provides a collaborative multi-disciplinary environment, and strengthens the UK’s standing in health research.

Every inch of this relatively small plot at the heart of Cambridge’s biomedical campus was strategically used to unlock the full potential of this dynamic working environment. Architectural knowledge and decades of life science experience were utilised to carefully plan and accommodate the complex operational flows that come with 5 distinct units operating effectively – where autonomy is preserved, but collaboration and knowledge sharing are effectively encouraged.

The layout seamlessly integrates highly specialised labs, collaboration rooms, dedicated office spaces, and educational facilities to support an innovative environment, while a combination of softened write-up and dry lab areas, inclusive WC facilities, and therapeutic zones ensure that the HLRI meets the needs of these high-performance teams beyond their research output and establishes a sense of belonging.

The VPD-HLRI is a vital hub that accelerates life saving treatments by seamlessly connecting groundbreaking research with clinical care. The facility directly links state-of-the-art laboratories for advanced research in genomics, cellular mechanisms, population sciences, and translational medicine, to an NIHR-accredited Clinical Research Facility (CRF). This 10-bed CRF enables R&D efforts to directly translate to experimental early-phase clinical trials, which are further connected to the Royal Papworth Hospital (RPH) via an underground transport tunnel for rapid integration with patient care.

Audio-visual streaming from RPH’s operating theatres brings the expertise of the nation’s leading clinical care directly into the research environment, facilitating real time collaboration. By bridging advanced research, experimental care, and real world treatment, the VPD-HLRI accelerates the innovation lifecycle, bringing life-saving treatments to patients faster than ever before.

Our expertise in sustainable design allowed for the strategic development of multiple systems designed to help the project meet a high standard of sustainable operation and land use. Notably, a system for year-round sustainable ventilation was developed by using tactical air intake zones positioned on the building’s quieter east side to optimise natural ventilation, supported by automated vents with heating matrices for winter, and using the building’s internal thermal mass for summer cooling.

Promotion of local biodiversity was also a key component of the sustainability profile of the project, targeted with the use of bat and bird boxes and considerate landscaping planned to a high standard of care to support local wild-life and pollinators.