Inverclyde’s first zero-carbon whisky distillery, Ardgowan Distillery, has appointed Inverkeithing based Muir Construction to begin the first phase of its £20 million “cathedral of whisky”. The £7m contract is expected to last 12 months and will see the completion of the distillery’s main production elements, enabling Ardgowan to begin producing
The development of a £40 million state-of-the-art aerospace manufacturing and design facility for Moog Inc. in Gloucestershire has reached practical completion. Developer Barberry Industrial has delivered a 208,000 sq ft centre of excellence on a 10-acre site at Ashchurch, Tewkesbury. The facility is a carbon neutral building, designed to a
National property consultancy Carter Jonas has secured planning consent on behalf of Harwell Science and Innovation Campus for a new 53,000 sq ft (GIA) office building for the popular science campus. Consent was awarded by the Vale of White Horse District Council in June. The new office building will be
The £40 million ONE BioHub is the iconic new location for life sciences in Aberdeen. Inspiring ambition, giving scientists and innovators skills and knowledge to turn research and innovation into businesses, and supporting them on the entrepreneurial journey. ONE BioHub will provide start-up, spinout and scaling life sciences businesses, tackling
Acting on behalf of the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Limited Partnership, national property consultancy, Carter Jonas has secured planning permission for a new vaccine research and manufacturing facility at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. The permission was granted by Vale of White Horse District Council on
Leading commercial property consultant Whybrow has unveiled a new brand identity, as part of its ambitious growth plans, to further enhance and better reflect its position within the industry. The refreshed branding features a new logo and updated colour scheme, as well as a website refresh for the Colchester-based firm,
Significant project will be built at the Harwell Science and Innovation campus and encompass a new research, development and manufacturing facility Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today announced that it has been appointed by Harwell Campus, the world-renowned science
Stanhope, on behalf of investors Mitsui Fudosan and Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), and some of their clients, is announcing today the completion of 1 Wood Crescent at Television Centre in West London and its availability for letting to prospective tenants. 1 Wood Crescent is a new nine storey building
Leading fire engineering consultancy OFR Consultants, has been appointed on several high-profile projects throughout the UK, supporting clients in the custodial, aviation and healthcare sectors. Among the new projects is a body of work with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), with OFR appointed to work on fire engineering strategies for
Work at 1000 Discovery Drive, a new multi-let laboratory and office space at Cambridge Biomedical Centre has reached a significant milestone. To mark the occasion, Prologis UK, developer of the life sciences project, and main contractor SDC hosted a Topping Out ceremony on 21 March. The ceremony, which marked the
BDC 321 : Oct 2024
Inverclyde’s first zero-carbon whisky distillery, Ardgowan Distillery, has appointed Inverkeithing based Muir Construction to begin the first phase of its £20 million “cathedral of whisky”. The £7m contract is expected to last 12 months and will see the completion of the distillery’s main production elements, enabling Ardgowan to begin producing its own spirit from 2024. This first build phase represents the culmination of almost 7 years’ careful planning for the distillery founders, marking a huge milestone in the ergonomic, energy efficient distillery and visitor experience, which will create up to 47 local jobs and produce up to 1m litres of premium whisky per year. The innovative distillery design uses low environmental impact composite cladding, timber and steel materials to create a modern Nordic long hall, symbolising resurrection and rising from the ashes of the former Ardgowan Distillery in Greenock, which was bombed during the 1941 Blitz. The ambitious plans for the new net-zero distillery include cutting-edge technologies and partnerships with new technology developers to deliver a truly carbon-neutral spirit. The distillery has partnered with Heriot-Watt University and engineers Briggs of Burton to develop technology to capture all of the CO2 in its fermentation process and transform it into green biomethane – a technique which has never been used in a Scotch whisky distillery before. Martin McAdam, CEO, said: “Partnering with Muir Construction for this first phase of the build is a major and very welcome step forward for us. It was imperative that we selected a contractor who shares the same values for sustainability. Muir’s experience constructing some of the finest Scotch Whisky distilleries open today, coupled with their hand in pioneering Scottish sustainability projects meant they were the perfect fit.” Muir Construction, part of Muir Group, are established in distillery construction, previously working with a number of major distillery companies, including William Grant & Sons, Distell and Glenmorangie. They have also worked on a number of key sustainability projects, including the Queens Quay Energy Centre in Glasgow and Celtic Renewables. Alan Muir, joint managing director at Muir Construction, said: “We are delighted to be given the opportunity by Ardgowan Distillery to join the delivery team in what is an exceptional distillery. Not only will this be at the forefront of distilling fine whisky, but it will also be an outstanding statement in visual design, something I’m sure we will all be proud of on completion. “Our construction team is very excited to get started on the first step in what we are sure will be an excellent ongoing relationship.” Ardgowan’s multi award winning selection of sherry cask influenced malts recently celebrated a triple gold win at the 2022 Scotch Whisky Awards, their Clydebuilt whisky range is available from specialist retailers across the UK. To date, a total funding package of £24m has been secured for the project so far, with the distillery recently raising in excess of £3.6m via a convertible loan note to shareholders. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The development of a £40 million state-of-the-art aerospace manufacturing and design facility for Moog Inc. in Gloucestershire has reached practical completion. Developer Barberry Industrial has delivered a 208,000 sq ft centre of excellence on a 10-acre site at Ashchurch, Tewkesbury. The facility is a carbon neutral building, designed to a BREEAM excellent EPC A+ standard. It is expected to be operational later this year. Barberry, the West Midlands-based development and investment company, started construction on the site off the A46, near junction 9 of the M5, in April 2021 having agreed a 35-year lease with Moog. Main contractor Readie Construction delivered the £28 million construction contract, which included both Cat A and Cat B fit out works. Jon Robinson, development director at Barberry, said: “This has been a fantastic award-winning project and it has been a pleasure to work alongside Moog, a global leader in aerospace manufacturing, as we hand over their new facility allowing their business to service new contracts, generate new highly skilled jobs and enjoy continued success in Gloucestershire. “We are very proud both to have delivered a wonderful facility on behalf of the company and to have led the way on what is one of the few carbon neutral manufacturing facilities in the UK, fulfilling several green credentials allowing Moog to address sustainability while also incorporating several staff wellbeing provisions within the building including a fully equipped gymnasium and staff relaxation and welfare area providing an excellent working environment for Moog employees.” The building has been fitted with 2,400 450W PV Solar panels capable of generating 1 MW of Energy. Also included is a state-of-the-art 50,000 litre underground rainwater harvesting system which supplies water to the toilets, saving an estimated 1,000 m3 of water energy each year. Elsewhere, it has EV charging points, the highest quality insulation material, bat boxes, bird boxes and insect hotels, heat recovery systems reducing natural gas consumption, and LED intelligent lighting throughout. The new development has easy access to the M5, the M50, the M42 and the motorway network beyond. It is expected to attract substantial investment to the region and safeguard the employment of a highly-skilled workforce while creating new jobs. Mark Lawton, ACC Division General Manager at Moog, said: “Moving into our new manufacturing and design facility in Gloucestershire marks the beginning of an exciting new era for Moog. The Barberry team has delivered an outstanding centre of engineering excellence.” Moog’s existing Tewkesbury Aircraft Controls Segment operation is the global centre of excellence for design of servo valves and has a large engineering division housed within its existing facility. It is the town’s largest employer and has operated from there for over 40 years. The highly anticipated new facility will help foster further growth in Moog’s Engine and Flight control products for military and commercial aerospace programs. Moog sees the expansion as an integral part of its commitment to long-term manufacturing and sales in the UK. Barberry has a 2.4 million sq ft industrial/logistics development portfolio with a Gross Development Value of more than £355 million. In 2023, Barberry is proudly celebrating 40 years of successful property investment and development. The company is opportunity driven and is actively seeking further development and investment opportunities. It is active in all sectors of the property market including industrial, offices, retail, strategic land and residential. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
National property consultancy Carter Jonas has secured planning consent on behalf of Harwell Science and Innovation Campus for a new 53,000 sq ft (GIA) office building for the popular science campus. Consent was awarded by the Vale of White Horse District Council in June. The new office building will be occupied by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), but has been designed to provide flexibility. In addition to workspaces, the planning consent also includes breakout areas inside and outside of the building for staff and visitors, enhanced landscaping and tree planting, and car and cycle parking provision adjacent to the building. Harwell Campus is located within The Science Vale UK area, an internationally significant location for innovation and science-based research and business. The 700-acre campus is home to numerous organisations, predominantly in the innovation technologies sector, and provides employment to around 6,500 people working in over 225 organisations. Katherine Jones, Associate Partner, Planning and Development, Carter Jonas, commented: “Carter Jonas is involved in planning widely across Harwell Campus – from strategic planning through to individual applications such as this. A specialist nuclear cluster has emerged at Harwell, and consequently, there is ongoing demand for space. We are pleased to have played a part in fulfilling this requirement.” Monika Zemla, Director of Leasing and Business Development at Harwell Campus, said: “We’re delighted to have secured planning for the Dexter development. Dexter will be occupied by NDA, whose crucial work will pave the way for the realisation of our masterplan vision and will enable further expansion of our globally renowned science community.” Having managed and submitted the planning application, Carter Jonas will continue to be involved through the discharging of the planning conditions.
The £40 million ONE BioHub is the iconic new location for life sciences in Aberdeen. Inspiring ambition, giving scientists and innovators skills and knowledge to turn research and innovation into businesses, and supporting them on the entrepreneurial journey. ONE BioHub will provide start-up, spinout and scaling life sciences businesses, tackling modern health challenges with incubator laboratories and offices, fully customisable grow-on space, commercialisation and growth programmes, and access to mentors, expert networks and investors. The new-build industry innovation hub is a focal point for action and investment to diversify the economy and maximise the impact of science and technology from within life sciences companies, the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and NHS Grampian. It will accommodate up to 400 bio-entrepreneurs at full occupancy. An Aberdeen City Region Deal innovation project, ONE BioHub is led and co-funded by Opportunity North East (ONE) with funding from the UK Government, Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. The University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian are strategic partners and have provided the site for ONE BioHub, in the heart of Aberdeen’s Foresterhill Health Campus. Sir Ian Wood KT GBE, chair of ONE, said: “ONE BioHub will be the transformational place in the North East of Scotland for the entrepreneurial life sciences community and growth sector to meet, share, learn, start up, innovate and grow. It will be a new game-changing technology and business cluster in Aberdeen, accelerating life sciences commercialisation, translating research into solutions in the market, improving health and wellbeing, creating high-growth businesses and high-value jobs, and harnessing the potential of science, technology and innovation to diversify the economy. This adds an exciting new business dimension to our economy.” Deborah O’Neil, OBE FRSE, chairs the life sciences board at ONE and ONE BioHub and is CEO of Aberdeen biotech company NovaBiotics said: “North east Scotland is serious about its life sciences opportunity. The region is home to world-class research and innovation in the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and NHs Grampian, a thriving community of 2,500 life scientists and a cluster of dynamic biotech, medtech and healthtech businesses. ONE BioHub will make more of all these strengths, assets and talented people. It will inspire the next generation of bio-entrepreneurs to commercialise innovation in the city, solve health challenges and create lasting economic value.” Formally launching ONE BioHub to the life sciences community, partners and stakeholders this morning, Scottish Government Innovation Minister Richard Lochhead said: “ONE BioHub will be a tremendous asset for the North East and the whole of Scotland. It will allow the already thriving life sciences cluster in the region to continue growing, innovating and succeeding. This includes important work in developing innovative treatments for conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer.” “This reflects the key role that life sciences have in our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and forthcoming National Innovation Strategy. And the partnership working that has made ONE BioHub possible exemplifies what is needed for the successful transformation of our economy.” “That is why the Scottish Government has invested £10 million in BioHub through the Aberdeen City Region Deal.” UK Government Minister for Scotland, Malcolm Offord, said: “This fantastic ONE BioHub facility is an important new platform for the region’s life sciences industries, and I have no doubt that it will rapidly forge an international reputation for excellence.” “The products developed here will improve lives, and reduce pain and suffering worldwide, while the companies based here will bring high quality jobs and investment to the local community.” “The UK Government has invested £10 million in the BioHub, part of our £2.3 billion support for levelling up right across Scotland.” Neil Francis is Scottish Enterprise’s Managing Director for Major Projects said: “I visited ONE BioHub during its construction phase to announce the £2 million contribution from Scottish Enterprise and it is a real honour to be here now and see the iconic building it has become. “Projects such as the ONE BioHub, bringing together our innovators, entrepreneurs and big thinkers in one place, are crucial to the success of Scotland’s future economy. “As Aberdeen transitions to the growth sectors of the future, ONE BioHub will be at the heart of its ambitions to become a leading life sciences destination.” Professor George Boyne, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, said: “ONE Biohub recognises the leading life sciences research expertise we have here at the University of Aberdeen and across the region and will help nurture that expertise and take it closer to market which in turn will contribute to health, wellbeing and prosperity. The University of Aberdeen is enhancing its support for commercialisation of research and we are excited by the role that ONE Biohub can play in accelerating our impact on the life sciences sector.” Alison Evison, Chair of NHS Grampian, said: “We are delighted that our partners in innovation will be here on the Foresterhill Campus. This cements our commitment to exploring new and innovative ideas with industry and life sciences within our healthcare systems.” Robertson Construction was the main contractor for ONE BioHub and the building was designed by BDP. Elliot Robertson , Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group, said: “ONE BioHub is one of many projects being delivered by Opportunity North East (ONE) that not only lead to economic diversification in the region, but put it firmly on the global stage through its commitment to assisting the life sciences through innovation and commercialisation. As the delivery partner of choice for ONE BioHub, we have been working with the local community throughout the build, supporting construction apprenticeships and careers and skills sessions with school pupils. ONE BioHub has been used to inspire and expand knowledge since its inception and will continue to be a place of collaboration with the potential to address global health challenges, whilst creating employment and opportunity.” Christoph Ackermann, Principal, BDP (Building Design Partnership Ltd) commented: “The Opportunities North East (ONE) team is very visionary in its leadership, particularly around economic development and innovation and this is a great example of their commitment
Acting on behalf of the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Limited Partnership, national property consultancy, Carter Jonas has secured planning permission for a new vaccine research and manufacturing facility at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. The permission was granted by Vale of White Horse District Council on 6 April. The permission is for a 16,000m2 research, development and manufacturing facility, providing the UK public with access to cutting-edge mRNA vaccines for a wide range of respiratory diseases, pending regulatory assessment and licensure. It will be occupied by Moderna, as the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) and will also include a clinical biomarker laboratory – a prefabricated modular laboratory constructed in Northumberland, which will then be installed on the campus. Construction work has already begun on site and the scheme is programmed for completion in 2025. The investment will create hundreds of jobs across Oxfordshire and the UK and will cement the Harwell Campus’s position as a national health tech hub for the pioneering research and development of mRNA and other nucleic acid therapeutics. Steven Sensecall, Partner at Carter Jonas in Oxford commented, ‘Carter Jonas is proud to have been instrumental in securing planning permission for this nationally important facility at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. Harwell is an extremely important, internationally recognised science cluster where many scientific breakthroughs have occurred in recent years. We very much value our relationship with the Campus Partnership and are proud to be part of the professional tram that is shaping its future. Delivery of the MITC will be of significant benefit to both Moderna and other companies based here and we are very pleased to have played an instrumental in obtaining this further planning consent.’ Stuart Grant, Chief Executive of Harwell Campus said, ‘MRNA technology has the capability to transform how we treat a variety of diseases and enhance UK resilience against future pandemics. I’m delighted that this planning consent enables us to welcome Moderna to Harwell Campus, and our thriving health tech cluster. We’re entering a new era of medicine so it’s important that we deliver and build cutting edge facilities to reflect this and spaces that promote innovation and encourage collaboration.’ Carter Jonas will continue to advise on town planning matters through to delivery of the project. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading commercial property consultant Whybrow has unveiled a new brand identity, as part of its ambitious growth plans, to further enhance and better reflect its position within the industry. The refreshed branding features a new logo and updated colour scheme, as well as a website refresh for the Colchester-based firm, which better aligns with its core values, innovation and forward-thinking approach. The launch forms part of the company’s wider strategy plans to strengthen its position in the industry, expand its services and presence across key sectors such as commercial, industrial and retail. Since its acquisition last year, which now sees Whybrow operating under the Beresfords property group umbrella, the company has undergone significant growth having expanded its client base, receiving numerous new potential instructions from within the branch network and via the group’s senior director team. The firm also recently expanded its branches, with the addition of Brentwood, Hornchurch and Chelmsford, and plans to expand its clients and network further as it grows its commercial business within the areas. Whybrow has also built up an impressive project portfolio, having been appointed on the Colchester Northern Gateway Leisure Park development at the end of 2022. Its dedicated team will be advising its client Turnstone Estate with the commercial need throughout the construction of the 200,000 sq. ft site. Ewan Dodds, chief executive officer of Whybrow, said: “Our new brand identity has been designed to reflect our evolution as a company and will better represent who we are, helping to differentiate ourselves within the industry. “We love being part of a larger group, with all the support it brings. We could not have been welcomed into the group fold with more open arms, we truly feel we’re a part of the Beresfords ‘family’. “We are developing stronger and stronger relationships, both professionally and socially, with the team and being introduced to a far greater network of Berefords’ established clients and professional contacts. We’re excited to see what the future brings for Whybrow, as we look to further establish ourselves and develop our relationships as time goes on.” Established in 1985, Whybrow has been dedicated to providing property consultancy to local, regional and national companies – particularly those with a presence in the South East and London – for nearly 40 years. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Significant project will be built at the Harwell Science and Innovation campus and encompass a new research, development and manufacturing facility Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today announced that it has been appointed by Harwell Campus, the world-renowned science and innovation campus to build a new £150M Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) at the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire. The MITC development will encompass a research, development and manufacturing facility, providing the UK public with access to cutting-edge mRNA vaccines for a wide range of respiratory diseases, pending regulatory assessment and license. The new facility will also include a clinical biomarker laboratory, a prefabricated modular laboratory constructed in Northumberland which will then be installed on the campus. Construction will begin this year, with the facility expected to become operational in 2025, subject to planning and regulatory approvals. The investment will create hundreds of jobs across Oxfordshire and the UK and it will cement Harwell Campus as a national health tech hub for the pioneering research and development of mRNA and other nucleic acid therapeutics. Commenting on the project Eddie McGillycuddy, CEO said: “Having successfully delivered a large pharmaceutical project in the region and established an office within the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, we are absolutely delighted to now be delivering this pioneering research and development facility. Life science and pharmaceutical projects are complex, controlled environments that require significant design and engineering ability to ensure they are delivered correctly. We have expanded our specialist team to push forward and make these facilities a cornerstone of our continued growth in the coming years. We very much look forward to working with the team at Harwell, Moderna and Merit to develop this important new facility and further expand the thriving health tech cluster at Harwell”. Also Commenting on the announcement Darius Hughes, UK General Manager at Moderna, said: “We are delighted to reach this important milestone with Harwell and our lab build partners, Merit and building contractors Glencar. We look forward to joining the Harwell Campus health tech cluster and contributing to the UK’s science and innovation community through investments in R&D. When constructed, our facility at Harwell will harness mRNA science to develop and deliver tailored, innovative vaccines to the UK public that address particular threats from respiratory viruses facing our population.” Stuart Grant, Chief Executive of Harwell Campus said: “mRNA technology has the capability to transform how we treat a variety of diseases and enhance UK resilience against future pandemics. I’m delighted to welcome Moderna to Harwell Campus, and our thriving health tech cluster. We’re entering a new era of medicine so it’s important that we deliver and build cutting edge facilities to reflect this and spaces that promote innovation and encourage collaboration.” Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director of Innovation Clusters and Harwell Campus at UKRI-STFC, said: “The Harwell Health Tech cluster’s multidisciplinary ecosystem allows researchers and industry professionals to easily share expertise and skills, creating impactful innovation across the entire life sciences sector. From accelerating the discovery and development of new vaccines and advanced medicines, to leading the way with next generation imaging technologies and diagnostics, the cluster is enabling ground-breaking progress against global health challenges.” Moderna is the latest organisation to join Harwell’s thriving Health Tech cluster which has grown to over 70 life science organisations since it launched in 2016. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Stanhope, on behalf of investors Mitsui Fudosan and Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), and some of their clients, is announcing today the completion of 1 Wood Crescent at Television Centre in West London and its availability for letting to prospective tenants. 1 Wood Crescent is a new nine storey building comprising 112,247 sq ft of prime office space located on the west side of the Television Centre campus which includes multiple terraces, all with views over Hammersmith Park and the surrounding White City area and beyond. The building is designed by architects Morris+Company and constructed by Laing O’Rourke. PVH Corp., parent company to brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, has already leased the top five floors of the brand-new building as its new UK headquarters, totaling 50,000 sq ft of office space. Jonathan Trout, Property & Commercial Director, Stanhope said: “We are looking forward to welcoming PVH Corp. to the completed 1 Wood Crescent building, providing the fashion and lifestyle powerhouse a Grade A, BREEAM ‘Excellent’ building as the base of its UK operations. The creative giant is an invaluable addition both to Television Centre and White City Place which continue to attract global brands as occupiers across the media and sciences sectors.” Tomoo Nakamura, Managing Director, Mitsui Fudosan UK said: “We are proud of the timely delivery of 1 Wood Crescent only two years following the start of construction. It is yet another successful milestone in the redevelopment of Television Centre. Mitsui Fudosan are delighted to be offering world-class facilities to creative companies looking to move to a growing innovation and business hub in West London.” Rupert Wingfield, Real Estate Head, Europe, AIMCo said: “We are delighted that PVH Corp. is relocating its UK headquarters to the new 1 Wood Crescent building. The building completion represents a significant addition to the creative ecosystem at Television Centre and offers new occupiers state-of-the-art office space with sustainability at its heart.” PVH Corp. will be the latest in a growing list of existing fashion and creative occupiers at Television Centre and White City Place, including the BBC and ITV, BBC Worldwide, Publicis Media, Soho House, ME+EM and the White Company. 1 Wood Crescent will take its place at Television Centre, a thriving estate at the heart of an £8 billion regeneration of White City. The unique mixed-use site has rapidly become one of the UK’s most forward-thinking hubs for creative industries, café and restaurants, apartments and a hotel attracting some of the UK’s best creative talent and businesses, alongside the neighbouring business, creative and life sciences innovation district at White City Place. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading fire engineering consultancy OFR Consultants, has been appointed on several high-profile projects throughout the UK, supporting clients in the custodial, aviation and healthcare sectors. Among the new projects is a body of work with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), with OFR appointed to work on fire engineering strategies for new prisons in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire. The new prisons will be created as part of the Alliance 4 New Prisons (A4NP) programme, a project that will see the development of four new adult male prisons built by ISG, Kier, Laing O’Rourke and Wates – a group of Tier 1 contractors working together as part of the government’s Construction Playbook. The A4NP will develop a standardised design that will then be applied across each of the four prison sites, building on the approach of the MoJ pathfinder common design prisons at HMP Five Wells and Glen Parva. Speaking of the appointment OFR design director Richard Rankin said: “This is a unique sector, and we are proud to be a part of this ambitious new approach by the MoJ. “The custodial sector requires unique thinking, and my colleagues and I are preparing fire strategies that will consider the complexities and layout of prisons, evolving an idea that will accommodate each individual site, while also accounting for the standardised design approach. It is an exciting opportunity, and we are delighted to be involved.” OFR has also undertaken a new £330m project with the Royal Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust to refurbish an existing hospital and build a new facility, with the news coming just weeks after OFR announced the appointment of more new colleagues to its team; the consultancy now employs 115-colleagues across seven UK offices in Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Oxford, Bath and London. In Q4 2022, the company also welcomed new graduates, part of its commitment to investing in and nurturing future engineering talent. Rich concluded: “Since 2016, we have grown to become one of the UK’s leading fire engineering consultancies, developing our business and growing our team by nurturing a strong culture and investing in great people. The result is a motivated team working with clients across the world to deliver fire engineering strategies that protect people, place and planet. “I’m really proud of the new work we are delivering together and look forward to bringing these new projects to fruition.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work at 1000 Discovery Drive, a new multi-let laboratory and office space at Cambridge Biomedical Centre has reached a significant milestone. To mark the occasion, Prologis UK, developer of the life sciences project, and main contractor SDC hosted a Topping Out ceremony on 21 March. The ceremony, which marked the exterior completion of the building and was held in honour of the occasion, included a speech by SDC Contracts Manager and Director, Dan Changer, who discussed the next stage of the building’s construction. The speech highlighted the benefits to the community the project will deliver upon completion at the end of 2023, such as increased job opportunities and continued growth for companies in the region and locally. Situated at the geographical heart of life sciences in the Cambridge region, Cambridge Biomedical Campus is home to world leading hospitals such as Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth. It is also co-located with the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine and provides facilities for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. The 103,000 sq. ft. five-storey building, being developed on the southern edge of the Campus, is set to form part of the expanding ecosystem of clinical, academic and commercial excellence through targeting a range of growing biotech and life science businesses. Since development began in June 2022, Prologis UK has received numerous expressions of interest in the new development. This is in part due to the location of the space meaning that prospective occupiers will benefit from being near the nation’s leading scientific minds from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology as well as rubbing shoulders with big businesses such as AstraZeneca, Abcam and the university. Andrew Blevins, Head of Life Sciences at Prologis UK, commented: “This is a momentous occasion for the campus, as we are one step closer to delivering one of the highest-calibre life sciences properties in the country. SDC has been imperative to the successful design and construction of 1000 Discovery Drive, and we’re proud to be creating a space for research-led businesses to brush shoulders with leading academic researchers, life science businesses and clinicians in a way that is unprecedented in the UK.” Dan Changer added: “As we continue to develop 1000 Discovery Drive, we edge closer to providing the region with a true hub of excellence with the sole purpose of serving the life sciences sector. Not only will the development enable careers development and business growth for companies in the region, but it will also be the pinnacle of discovery and attract the nation’s finest talent. We’re proud to be part of the journey which will see Prologis help to grow the UK’s life sciences industry.” The design of 1000 Discovery Drive forms part of the emerging Cambridge Biomedical Campus’ 2050 vision, focused on improving connectivity with the surrounding community. Not only will it offer laboratory and office space in a variety of sizes and specifications but will also deliver important amenities for the wider campus and community, such as a café and open-source community centre, to create an environment that is both socially inviting and explorable. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
