Railpen’s Botanic Place HQ development in Cambridge achieves 100% BREEAM score at design stage

Railpen, manager of the £34bn Railways Pension Scheme in the UK, has achieved a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ design-stage score for Botanic Place, its 325,000 sq ft landmark development in the heart of Cambridge. Botanic Place attained an unprecedented 100.54% credits, although the score is capped at 100%. This milestone achievement officially makes Botanic Place the first office building in the UK to achieve 100% at Design stage [1].

Railpen’s ambition for Botanic Place is to create global-standard headquarters offices for companies operating predominantly in the AI, tech, innovation, and pharmaceutical sectors seeking a significant presence in the UK’s Golden Triangle. Currently under construction and due for completion in Q1 2028, Botanic Place comprises two buildings: 1 Botanic Place (175,000 sq ft) and 2 Botanic Place (150,000 sq ft).

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the global gold standard for sustainability in the built environment. While a score of 85% is required to reach the ‘Outstanding’ threshold, Botanic Place has exceeded this by a significant margin.

The record-breaking score was made possible through a suite of pioneering environmental features integrated via intelligent design. Each represents market-leading thinking and innovation by Railpen, working closely with its development manager, Socius, and wider team. Many of Botanic Place’s innovations also respond to specific contextual factors, such as the well-documented pressures on water supply in Cambridge. Examples include:

Night purge ventilation mode, using “free cooling” at night to reduce the energy demand for cooling by approximately 70%
The latest generation of reversible air source heat pumps, enabling the transfer of heat rather than energy-intenstive heat generation
Dynamic façade design that responds to the changing sun angles to minimise solar heat gain whilst ensuring optimum levels of natural light for occupiers
Intelligent building systems that only provide lighting, cooling and ventilation where they are needed
Grey water recycling and rainwater harvesting, where the water can then be used to flush toilets to minimise water consumption
Cycle Heart Rated Platinum End of Journey facilities reflecting both the quantity and quality of cycle parking, showers and changing facilities to encourage active travel
Material passports to ensure all building materials are responsibly sourced and to reliably track embodied carbon

Maria Averkina, Senior Asset and Development Manager at Railpen, commented: “Achieving the first 100% BREEAM score for an office development at design stage in the UK is a testament to Railpen’s commitment to understanding not only what occupiers want and need but as importantly, what the surrounding context requires. Botanic Place is a global blueprint for the future of the office, and one that also makes a significant positive contribution environmentally and socially to Cambridge. By using intelligent design to push the boundaries of what is possible in sustainable development, we are providing our future occupiers with a space that prioritises environmental integrity and human wellbeing, supporting productivity and talent retention. The recognition is also testament to the innovation and shared commitment among our professional team and development manager, Socius.”

Dan Asquith, BREEAM Business Development Team Leader at BRE, added: “BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ represents the top 1% of UK non-domestic buildings, but Botanic Place has created a category of its own. By integrating pioneering technologies, from the night purge ventilation mode to the dynamic façade design, this project has pushed the boundaries of our assessment criteria. A score of 100.54% is a testament to a rigorous, holistic approach to sustainability that balances carbon reduction with biodiversity and occupant wellbeing. We are delighted to see such a high level of technical excellence being delivered by Railpen in the heart of Cambridge.”

Located adjacent to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and minutes from Cambridge station, Botanic Place will offer private and common roof terraces of 40,000 sq ft providing outstanding 360 degree views of the city, including Botanic Garden from multiple levels, as well as market-defining public spaces, landscaped gardens, internal amenties, events spaces, and food and beverage areas. These will be complemented by 1,300 cycling spaces and exceptional end-of-journey facilities.

Railpen has assembled a world-class team to deliver Botanic Place, including development manager Socius, architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), contractor Skanska, and construction consultants, Real PM, with sustainability and MEP consultancy provided by Hoare Lea. Railpen’s office leasing agents for Botanic Place are JLL, Knight Frank, and Savills.

In addition to Botanic Place, Railpen’s unique Mill Yard campus-style mixed-use development is under construction and due for completion in Q1 2027. It has also achieved BREEAM Outstanding, placing it within the top 0.5% of sustainable buildings globally. Both developments form part of Railpen’s Cambridge Innovation Cluster, which comprises 11 assets totalling 1.9m sq ft of high-quality space, including the recently consented 1m sq ft Beehive innovation hub.

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