Sector
Education
Value
£8m
Region
Midlands - East
Status
Completed
Delivery Team
CPMG
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Building, Nottingham
A new, 22,700ft² Grade A space for research and development in Nottingham Science Park, located on University Boulevard, has recently been completed.
The £8m project is named in honour of Britain’s first female doctor, magistrate and mayor, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, and has been designed in reflection of her boldness, bravery and willingness to push boundaries. The creation of this new collaborative hub for tenants will inspire the next generation, as Anderson did.
Key dates:
- Planning permission granted: Nov 2018
- Construction started: Feb 2019
- Building opened: Spring 2022
Background
Historically a landfill site for Boots, the area has been regenerated following the conception of the science park in 1984 and provides links between the University of Nottingham and start-up businesses with a specific science bias.
In collaboration with builders’ merchants Taylor Maxwell and contractor Willmott Dixon, Perfect Circle was engaged from early conceptualisation to completion. The project was accelerated by SCAPE Consultancy, a direct award framework that drives collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings.
Requirements
Perfect Circle delivered a number of consultancy services for the scheme including architecture, structural engineering, project management & quantity surveying, service engineering and tier 2 surveys.
The project team was required to create a hub and focal point for the science park that offered flexible office space and zoned areas. Learning from what had been built previously, while still working within the context of the council’s masterplan, the project needed to be designed as a low energy, flood-resilient building and linked to sustainable urban drainage (SUDS).
Challenges
The relatively poor ground composition, adverse weather conditions and pre-existing sustainable drainage solutions – linked to the Beeston Sidings Nature Reserve – presented challenges to the team. It was therefore important to eliminate the ecological impact of historic landfill entering the adjacent watercourse. The design and implementation of a SUDS drainage scheme that mimics the existing Science Park solution and slows the pace of runoff water mitigated this risk.
The management of multiple stakeholders was also crucial to ensure that all the project needs were met while maintaining economic viability in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which slowed down additional phases of the project.
Outcomes
The innovative project, which features the illusion of a floating top floor over the entrance area, won the ‘Sustainable Development of the Year’ award at the East Midlands Property Awards in 2021.
Other impressive features include the use of photo voltaic cells on the roof to increase the use of renewable energy on the site. In addition, the landscaping scheme ties into the draining needs of the area, future proofing the site from adverse weather conditions.
The scheme continues to enhance Nottingham’s reputation as a ‘Science City’ by providing high-quality, flexible office spaces for Nottingham’s growing research and development industry. The building facilities also include a café, an 80-space car park and conference spaces, allowing companies to host events within a central hub for networking.
The positioning of the site also offers strong sustainable public transport links on the nearby tram, and an adjacent new cycle bridge beyond the Beeston Sidings Nature Reserve, to link to the Boots Campus, Boots Enterprise Zone and the University of Nottingham.
Social Value
Following the city’s plan to invest more locally, we are proud to have delivered 93% of spend on the project within four miles of the site. The use of local suppliers provided a catalyst for economic growth and job creation in Nottingham, Derby and surrounding areas.
The scheme also delivered £1.8m in social return on investment, with 640 staff hours volunteered to local projects including time with social enterprise Think Big Academy to deliver a careers event on site. This attracted 100 young people and resulted in 20 work experience enquiries. The project continues to support the growth of other social enterprises such as ‘Radiant Cleaners’, a cleaning company that supports people who are either long-term unemployed or homeless.
