£65 million life science building given green light

Liberty Property Trust, a Prologis company, and Countryside Properties, the developers of the hugely successful Cambridge Biomedical Campus expansion, have been granted planning consent for 1000 Discovery Drive.  The building, designed to be multi-let from the outset, will provide 103,000 sf of laboratory and office space over 5 storeys.

To be developed speculatively, this £65 million project will be the second building in the Phase 2 expansion of the campus which, in total, has outline planning permission for 400,000 sq ft of life science development.  Located on Discovery Drive adjacent to the recently completed 100,000 sq ft Abcam building, it has been designed to accommodate industry start-ups, university spin-outs and healthcare entrepreneurs.  The developers’ landscape-first philosophy will deliver a building grounded in a public realm that will flow right to the front door.  On arrival, a compelling entrance feature will welcome visitors, comprising an abstract structural tree – symbolising the coming together of science, discovery and architecture.  The building’s public café and shared work areas, will foster the vibrant buzz of social spaces associated with research collaboration and moments of serendipity.

1000 Discovery Drive will provide much needed space, at a time when the Cambridge laboratory sector is seeing the highest level of demand for five years, with only 3.7% of available supply.

Andrew Blevins, Managing Director, Liberty Property Trust commented:  “Our vision is to enrich and enhance occupier diversity and amenity on the Campus, so becoming an ever more sustainable eco-system for visitors, scientists, entrepreneurs, academics and clinicians, building on the ‘clustering’ effect we have created over the last decade.  The new development will be the latest building on the biomedical campus which has seen extraordinary growth with the delivery of over 1.7 million sq ft of new space for occupiers in less than 10 years.”

The developers envisage starting on site early summer, letting consultants are Bidwells, Savills and Creative Places.

Learn more about available property here.