Oxford, UK

Beginning at the earliest stage of the project lifecycle, our specialists helped to determine the suitability of the site for acquisition. The change of use from a commercial warehouse required a new high voltage electrical supply via a new substation and connection through the public highway.

The existing building structure restricted the location for the placement of the heavy plant equipment required for a lab development. New extensions to the front and rear provided alternative areas for the siting of landlord and tenant plant, with high level ductwork distributing services above roof level and into the building through strategically positioned risers.

We were appointed to design shell and core for the development as well as for the speculative lab fitout of 50% of the ground floor space. Any further service layouts specified needed to be flexible enough to match the MEP requirements of a variety of future lab tenants. This included the provision of large service zones and fume extracts.

With up to six tenants per floor, each tenant will have their own riser, allowing them to incorporate their own fume extracts to suit their requirements. Safe dispersion of gases from within the building is essential for prospective tenants, and we have accommodated for a variety of possible extraction methods, including high velocity discharge stacks, that filter and expel air at great speed.

Over 8,000 sq ft of shared collaboration space encourages teamwork and innovation, as well as a publicly accessible café, improved landscaping and a new cycle centre.

Retention of the existing structure has halved the embodied carbon required for new-build construction. With an all-electric design for the development, including heating and cooling, we are helping to ensure the building is futureproofed. Our sustainability team worked with the design team and contractor to achieve BREEAM Very Good and an EPC B rating.

Inventa is the second life sciences project we have successfully delivered for Mission Street, following the completion of Sycamore House in 2022.