Underground at Oxford

Langan’s London Team Supports New Ellison Institute of Technology Campus

The future of science, research, and AI has arrived in the UK with the highly anticipated opening of the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) next year. Located in Oxford, the massive R&D campus builds on the area’s rich history to forge a strong foundation for breakthroughs in healthcare and technology.

To make way for the future, Langan first had to dig into the site’s past—literally. Originally home to Littlemore Asylum in the 1800s, much of the former hospital remained intact on the site, which the project team decided to restore and incorporate into the campus. In response, Langan’s geotechnical experts carefully navigated the historic structure and complex ground conditions, designed the new facility’s deep foundations, and oversaw the installation of over 2,000 piles during construction. Additionally, the civil team assembled a flood management plan and compensatory storage for the adjacent Littlemore Brook to avoid encroaching on the floodplain.

More recently, EIT purchased the western section of Oxford Science Park to expand its campus. This expansion added significantly more space for collaboration, laboratories, and offices, while also presenting new challenges. Langan’s civil, geotechnical, and geo-environmental engineers drew inspiration from EIT’s focus on innovation to develop creative solutions that addressed challenges posed by sensitive structures, flood risks, and remediation requirements.

“The Ellison project is really unique because of its placement across two separate sites that encompass a former hospital, a burial ground, a railway embankment, and the Littlemore Brook running throughout,” said Tim Ward, Principal and leader of Langan’s London office. “It’s an exciting opportunity for our team to work together, protect the site’s historic and natural elements, and bridge its noteworthy past with the future facility.”