How Digarbon 2 is helping Bangor University preserve and decarbonise a landmark building
At Bangor University, one of the campus’s most distinctive buildings is being carefully prepared for the next chapter of its life. The Grade II-listed Brambell Building, a core teaching and research facility, is set to undergo major upgrades that will protect its fabric, improve energy performance and support the university’s wider journey towards net zero.
Designed in the late 1960s and opened in 1971, the Brambell Building is a striking example of post-war modernist architecture. In 2025 it became one of the first post-war university buildings in Wales to be granted listed status, recognising both its architectural significance and its connection to Professor Francis W. R. Brambell, a pioneering zoologist whose work helped shape modern understanding of animal welfare.
Today, the building plays a vital role at the university. It supports teaching in the natural sciences, houses the Northwest Cancer Research Institute and is home to Bangor University’s zoological museum, a hidden gem that opens to the public just twice a year. It also accommodates living collections, including reptiles, birds and insects, making the quality and stability of the internal environment especially important.
Over time, however, the fabric of the building has begun to fail. The roof has reached the end of its life, leading to ongoing issues with water ingress and damp that pose risks to both the structure and the sensitive activities taking place inside.
Director of infrastructure at Bangor University, Lars Wiegand, said: “This is a core building, and we are trying to preserve its life so those activities can continue. When you are housing museum collections and animals, maintaining the right environment is absolutely essential.”
The project is being supported through Digarbon Round 2, a £15.3 million loan fund delivered by our teams at Salix on behalf of Welsh Government to help further and higher education institutions decarbonise their estates.
Alongside Bangor University, successful recipients in this round include Cardiff Metropolitan University, Swansea and Coleg Cambria, reflecting a shared commitment across the sector to reduce emissions, modernise buildings and cut long-term energy demand.
Bangor University’s project includes the comprehensive replacement of the roof, alongside upgrades to how the building is managed and operated day to day.
Explaining why the Brambell Building was prioritised, Lars said: “The activity that happens here is incredibly important. We can’t afford to lose the building, so maintaining its use and functionality is critical.”
The work follows a fabric-first approach, ensuring the building envelope is improved before future low-carbon heating systems are introduced. Replacing the existing uninsulated roof with a highly efficient system will significantly reduce heat loss and energy demand, while creating the right conditions for further upgrades, including windows and façade improvements, in later phases.
This is one of the first decarbonisation projects we are putting in place. Getting the fabric right reduces demand and puts us in a much stronger position to install low-carbon heating systems in the future such as heat pumps.
Alongside the roof works, the project will modernise the building’s controls. A new building management system will replace ageing legacy equipment, giving the estates team real-time insight into how the building performs and how energy is used across different spaces.
Lars said: “The new system will improve operational efficiency and give us far better data. In a building like this, that level of control can deliver energy savings of between 15 and 25 per cent.”
For a building that supports research, teaching, freezers, live animals and public access, this level of control is critical. Smarter systems will help maintain stable internal conditions while avoiding unnecessary energy use.
Once complete, the building will be dry, safer and more comfortable, with improved thermal conditions for staff, students, researchers and animals alike. The University says that running costs are expected to reduce, and the reliability of the building will be significantly improved.
Lars added: “This work puts the building in a position where it is safe, reliable and fit for purpose, extending its life while also demonstrating the university’s commitment to decarbonisation.”
The work will be carefully phased to allow the building to remain operational throughout. Detailed stakeholder engagement is underway, with plans in place to temporarily relocate animals during the most disruptive stages. Construction is currently expected to begin in late summer 2027, with a programme of around six months.
Looking ahead, the project is expected to build momentum across the wider estate.
We are early in our decarbonisation journey, and there are other buildings where the fabric is close to failing. Digarbon gives us the opportunity to deliver major capital works that would otherwise be very difficult to progress. Decarbonisation is not just about technology. It’s also about culture and reducing demand. Sometimes it’s about asking whether a building really needs to be at a set temperature or understanding how energy-intensive equipment is being used.
As one of Bangor University’s first major decarbonisation projects, the Brambell Building marks an important step forward. It demonstrates how long-standing fabric issues can be tackled while preparing the estate for future low-carbon heat and smarter operation.
