Vaccine Testing Facility

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic situation the government commissioned the immediate construction of this bio-secure testing facility to fast-track COVID-19 variant vaccines.

Secured through competitive tendering and negotiation, T-SQUARED was engaged as the preferred specialist partner to fast-track the design, construction and certification of the complete building fit-out for this new cutting edge vaccine testing facility.

Required to meet stringent physical and bio-security measures our project design team, from the outset, worked in close liaison with the client side team to ensure all critical functional criteria was implemented.

Utilising our fully integrated in-house design expertise, our architecture and MEP engineering teams seamlessly blended their skills to offer a comprehensive turnkey solution. The project allowed us to demonstrate our capacity to mobilise quickly, allocate experienced resources with specific bio-containment lab design expertise, and in doing so, at short notice deliver a large, complex and very sensitive project for UK Government.

With the facility built to meet the requirements of the ACDP and LPS1175, a careful approach to construction was imperative. T-SQUARED provided a comprehensive fully integrated design and build solution, with particular regard being paid to ensuring bio-security, all associated critical building services, and all electrical services.

The two-storey, 2,745m2 facility incorporates containment level 2 and 3 laboratory space as well as open plan office and support areas, with internal architecture designed to seamlessly blend with the facility building services. 

Speed of delivery was critical to the UK’s vaccine response. By driving the design, delivery and validation in-house, T-SQUARED was able to deliver the fit-out of this facility in 24 weeks, nine weeks ahead of the contract programme.

With this cutting-edge research facility handed over, there will be no rest for the T-SQUARED team at Porton Down as we commence on the second Vaccine Testing Facility.

“This state-of-the-art facility is one of two that together make up a new £65 million Vaccine Evaluation Centre that will be critical in bolstering the UK’s future pandemic response, helping to keep us safe for years to come.

“It’s thanks to the research carried out at Porton Down and other vital sites across the UK that tens of millions of British people are protected from the virus as we learn to live with COVID-19.”

Sajid Javid,
Health Secretary

“These new world-class facilities will help further establish the UKHSA and its Porton Down site as a global leader of vaccine testing and variant research in the fight against COVID-19.”

Professor Dame Jenny Harries,
CEO of the UK Health Security Agency

“On behalf of The Vaccine Taskforce (VTF), can you please pass on massive congratulations to the Porton Down and T-SQUARED teams on completing the fit-out of VTF A ahead of schedule. The programme was extremely challenging in terms of its pace and complexity, so it has been remarkable to see how everyone has risen to the challenge to construct a key asset in the UK's ability to develop Vaccines at pace. It has been a real pleasure to have witnessed first-hand the interaction between teams, and the joint focus on quality outcomes that has delivered a fantastic facility nine weeks ahead of schedule. Well done everyone.”

Mark Graham,
Lead Project Manager, The Vaccine Taskforce,
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)