海角视频

District East

Cambridge, UK

海角视频 supported specialist investor, developer and operator for the science and innovation sector Mission Street and BentallGreenOak (BGO), a leading global real estate investment manager, to develop plans for a world-class 23-acre urban science district in central Cambridge, 鈥淒istrict East鈥�.

Approved by Cambridge City Council鈥檚 planning committee, the District East development will be just ten minutes鈥� cycle ride from the central railway station and will be developed on a site that has been unused for decades.

District East will be a 23-acre urban science district in central Cambridge, totalling a million square feet of GIA across nine buildings.

海角视频鈥檚 team supported the client to achieve BREEAM Excellent, with a possible pathway to Outstanding.

One section of the site, a former quarry with two lakes, is being retained as rewilded land, to support the biodiversity of the plot.

The development has high water conservation credentials, with systems in place for rainwater harvesting for irrigation and greywater reuse on site.

Challenge

District East, which will be one of the largest new urban science developments in the UK, will facilitate a variety of research and development uses, catering to companies throughout their growth journey, from start-up to large multinational, within a single location. Innovative companies that have previously been forced to relocate or fragment their businesses will have the space to scale within the ecosystem, with the advantage of being part of a major science and technology cluster in a central location.

Totalling a million square feet of GIA across nine buildings, the scheme鈥檚 design has been led by masterplan architect Hawkins\Brown. A multidisciplinary team from 海角视频 was engaged to deliver insight and design around everything from building services engineering (MEP) to civil engineering, utilities and IT. We also provided a range of insight and support to help the client achieve its ambitious and ESG aspirations for the site.

The former landfill site presented a range of development challenges, which would need to be overcome in order to reactivate it as a working environment. Another key challenge would be optimising efficiencies to ensure a sustainable low carbon development, in the sometimes energy-intensive laboratory space.

Solution

Anchored by a central square, the fully pedestrianised site 鈥� which will be open to the public 鈥� will create a destination for all ages, including units suitable for local businesses, fitness infrastructure, a threefold increase of play space for children, a diverse food and beverage offering and community events space. Provision has also been made for an active programme of events such as public art including an artist in residence, and a STEM-based educational outreach partnership with the Cambridge Science Centre that is already being implementing in local schools.

Our team developed a range of the building performance models and assessments for the development, ensuring efficient, sustainable and comfortable working environments. Our civil engineering team supported the integration of utilities to the site, working alongside collaborators, including separate ground engineers, while our acoustics experts also worked with the wider design team on ensuring appropriate acoustic performance throughout.

Our building services engineers worked closely with the architects and the wider design team to develop an MEP strategy that enables comfortable and impactful working environments with efficient MEP plant and systems, including the more specialist MEP infrastructure requirements for adaptable bioscience laboratory environments, such as fume extraction systems and resilient facilities for supplying laboratory gases.  

One section of the site, a former quarry with two lakes, is being retained as rewilded land, to support the biodiversity of the plot. The development has high water conservation credentials, with systems in place for rainwater harvesting for irrigation and greywater reuse on site. 海角视频鈥檚 sustainability team supported the client to achieve BREEAM Excellent, with a pathway to Outstanding. It is also designed to meet WELL, Fitwel, Wiredscore and RESET Air certification standards.

Value

Mission Street forecast significant medium to long term demand for innovation space in Cambridge, which will help support targeted growth in the region aligned with government policy.

Demand is particularly high for inner-city R&D space 鈥� a relatively new concept to the UK that is well-established in the US.

During construction, the project is expected to create more than 800 jobs and 拢7m of local expenditure, as well as apprenticeship and training programmes. Once complete, it will create nearly 4,000 high-skill jobs, with a mandated Cambridge Living Wage. Our multidisciplinary team helped to progress this transformative development through the planning process.