Bowmer & Kirkland has been appointed as main contractor for the £180 million Fabrica development in Oxford, a major new addition to the city’s rapidly expanding West End innovation district.
Set to begin construction in May 2025, the 180,000 sq ft scheme will deliver five storeys of high-quality laboratory and office space. Located on Botley Road, Fabrica is being developed by science and innovation specialist Mission Street and real estate investment manager BGO.
The project is being hailed as a significant milestone for the UK’s science and technology sector, marking the largest construction start in the field during the first half of 2025. Groundworks and site preparation are already underway, carried out by Colemans, with completion of the building anticipated in early 2027.
Fabrica is also set to break new ground in sustainability and social impact. It is the first commercial science building in the UK to target a BREEAM Outstanding rating, and it will become Oxford’s first Living Wage building—ensuring that all employees working within it earn at least the Living Wage.
Colin Brown, development director at Mission Street, said: “Following a collaborative, positive procurement process, Bowmer & Kirkland will shortly take forward the science and innovation sector’s biggest construction start of 2025 so far. As science companies increasingly look to central Oxford for its extensive amenities and unrivalled transport connections—including the future East West Rail link—Fabrica’s delivery represents a major vote of confidence in the UK market.”
The scheme is the second phase of Oxford’s Central Science District, following the recent completion of Mission Street and BGO’s Inventa project. The wider pipeline from the joint venture spans 1.5 million sq ft across Oxford, Cambridge, and Bristol.
Neil Brook, group construction director at Bowmer & Kirkland, added: “Our teams approached this project collaboratively from the outset, allowing us to complete the tender process in just 10 weeks. We look forward to starting on-site at the end of May with a 96-week programme.”
Bowmer & Kirkland is also supporting Mission Street and BGO’s District East development in Cambridge, where it is engaged under a pre-construction services agreement for the 23-acre science campus.
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