The Stevenage Life Science Quarter project is set to enhance Stevenage’s burgeoning status as an epicentre for life sciences in the UK, particularly in the field of biopharmaceuticals. Price & Myers have provided structural and civil engineering services for this ambitious project, which aims to revitalise the town centre while creating state of the art facilities for the life sciences sector.
Its central location means the project must navigate various constraints including existing retail leases, surrounding buildings, a public car park replacement, and the logistical challenge of ensuring secured vehicle access for service yards. It also accommodates existing infrastructure while meeting the specific requirements of advanced research facilities.
Central to the project are the Specialist Lab and Grad Lab buildings, designed to cater to the specific needs of the life science sector. These buildings share a common organisational structure but differ in their intended occupancy, with Specialist Labs designed for single tenants and Graduate Labs for multiple, potentially smaller or startup companies. This distinction has influenced the buildings’ massing and the distribution of spaces, from public-facing retail and reception areas to specialised storage and service areas located specifically as to ensure efficient operation and clear separation of public and private functions. The upper floors house research and manufacturing levels, requiring high levels of servicing and an interstitial level for the distribution of services, plus a rooftop plant area. The Collaboration Building, while sharing lower-level arrangements with the lab buildings, is positioned to foster collaboration amongst the resident scientific community without the need for technical back-of-house areas, which also allows for more extensive retail spaces.
Price & Myers’ approach to materiality and sustainability on the project is aimed at ensuring the scheme is both environmentally responsible and durable. High-quality sustainable materials have been chosen, with a focus on reducing embodied carbon through efficient design, prefabrication, and standardisation. Our client, Reef, is an environmentally progressive organisation who approached Price & Myers because of our work on lowering the embodied carbon in our designs. They ensured we were involved with the project from the earliest stages so we could work closely with the architect during the initial massing studies when we can make the most impact through influencing the building grids and framing, while recognising the specific requirements of research and manufacturing laboratories.
The Stevenage Life Science Quarter aims to be a significant step forward in creating spaces that foster scientific innovation and support community growth. Our work provides a solid foundation for this vision, balancing technical requirements with sustainability goals and we continue to be involved as the project progresses beyond planning to construction in phases.
