The £40m Jesus College scheme to provide new shops and student accommodation in Cornmarket will be officially opened later this month.

The design, construction and operation of the college’s new Cheng Yu Tung Building means it will be one of the city centre’s first fully zero carbon buildings.

For three years construction specialists BAM have been edging closer to the completion of this major development, the largest expansion for the Oxford University college since the 17th century. It includes some revamped retail units.

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The building, formerly known as Northgate House, will provide the college with additional postgraduate accommodation, teaching spaces, exhibitions and conferencing facilities and a high-tech digital hub.

Renewable energy technologies - such as ground source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels and a heat recovery and cooling system - have been used to ensure the building’s energy consumption is zero carbon.

Oxford Mail: Photo: Andy FfrenchPhoto: Andy Ffrench (Image: Photo: Andy Ffrench)

It is understood that there will be a formal ribbon cutting event on October 22 for a private event, with the first public event on Tuesday, October 25.

The college’s property director David Stevenson said earlier: “Environmental sustainability is a key priority for Jesus College, and at the heart of the new building’s design and construction.

“It forms part of a wider strategy to reduce our carbon footprint across all our buildings, infrastructure and activities, including reducing our energy consumption, adopting renewable energy solutions to meet our energy needs, and managing our waste and water consumption.”

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Window design will maximum natural light throughout the year, and, when the lights are switched on, high-efficiency LED lighting has been installed throughout.

Wherever possible, the building has been developed using high-tech materials from sustainable and recycled sources.

Oxford Mail: Photo: Andy FfrenchPhoto: Andy Ffrench (Image: Photo: Andy Ffrench)

For example, recycled aggregates have been added to the building’s concrete floor slabs to maximise its strength while minimising concrete usage, and the cross-laminated timber that forms the structure of the upper floors comes from sustainable forests in Germany.

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The college’s construction partners BAM have followed best practice waste management processes to reduce the generation of construction waste, and minimise the proportion of waste diverted to landfill.

The postgraduate accommodation and new fourth quad are now completed, along with final works to the Tower Room – a stunning new events and exhibition space with panoramic views across the city.

Oxford Mail: Photo: Andy FfrenchPhoto: Andy Ffrench (Image: Photo: Andy Ffrench)

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The development includes the new NHS Primary Care Centre in the building’s basement, which will provide a new home for three local GP surgeries.

Construction workers worked through the pandemic in a bid to keep to the original timetable.

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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF