Cambridgeshire, UK

Alconbury

A new masterplan for a campus that will provide R+D, office and production facilities for university start-up businesses and established enterprises in the heart of one of the UK’s original Silicon Hubs

Project Details

  • Location UK
  • Type New build
  • Sector Hybrid, Industrial
  • Services Architecture

Collective Team

This industrial master plan and building commission invited us to explore and refresh a design approach for industrial buildings that focuses on the people who work in them and the community in which they inhabit.

Creating some secure and controlled visibility into the activities, which are often fascinating, is key to connecting these employment activities with local neighbours. Being able to see more out from inside also works for the tenants in feeling a part of the wider community.

Our design found ways to retain and enhance the traditional building and layout principles of an industrial project to celebrate the businesses inside whilst also connect them with the public realm and other local uses. We established the base costs and any uplift for enhancements into a menu of opportunities for developers and tenants to review and select on a given project.

This project created a masterplan that included facing the front doors, R+D spaces and workplace mezzanines onto a recreational village green with residential communities on the opposite side.

This ground breaking approach was widely acclaimed and led us to look further into Hybrids of industrial and residential.

Explore Industrial R+D Industrial R+D