Project Birchwood (TTP plc HQ)

Delivering Cambridge's new purpose-built science park

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Championing an adaptable and inspiring work environment equipped to support work at the pinnacle of science.

To meet the growing needs of TTP plc - a technologies developer - Melbourn Science Park Ltd initiated “Project Birchwood”: a new state of the art headquarter building.

Gleeds was engaged prior to conception, establishing the budget and aiding in the appointment of the professional team. Gleeds services included cost management and employer agent services.

Project Birchwood provides three bespoke buildings spread across an 84,500 sqm site in the Cambridge cluster, offering a range of facilities including:

  • The Hive, a 7,200 sqm facility featuring a 60/40 split between open-plan office space and advanced labs (electronics, engineering workshops, metrology and biochemistry with cell culture capabilities)
  • A 1,650 sqm ‘’Technology Barn’’ housing a bespoke laser laboratory, cleanrooms on the first floor and a central energy hub
  • A 900 sqm circular support hub with a restaurant, presentation forum, gym and changing facilities
  • Outdoor areas, extensive site wide hard and soft landscaping providing over 700 new trees

Gleeds’ consultants performed a range of tasks to achieve watertight cost control. Service delivery included budget development, option appraisals, benchmarking, cost planning, live cost tracking, market testing for cost certainty, cashflow management (comparing actuals to forecasts) and intelligence gathering workshops with suppliers and contractors. The team also handled outbound and inbound invoices, a significant administrative responsibility for a project of this size.

Several challenges arose because of the conflict between budgetary limitations and ambition.

Our consultants recognised the following challenges early on:

  • Budget sensitive project
  • Cost options appraisals from concept to inform budget
  • Defined and challenging budget
  • Multiple stakeholders, to coordinate throughout

Gleeds collaborated with the remainder of the team to actively lead the project from the cost management perspective thus allowing the team to remain focused, proactive and adaptable to the challenges encountered. For example, contract and cost management negotiations were well planned and strategic, thus ensuring TTP yielded maximum value for money.

Since Gleeds participated in the selection of the lead architect and project team, we maintained alignment between staffing needs and the project budget. This reduced staff cost overruns, achieving better cost control for the client. Similarly, we played a key role in an in-depth stakeholder engagement process. This allowed us to establish budgetary aims and expectations from the outset, improving cost control as the project progressed.

The HQ development in Melbourn achieved practical completion in March 2023 being delivered within the available budget and with over £3m of value engineering being identified and secured. Additionally, Project Birchwood recently won the Corporate Workplace Category at the BCO Midlands and Central England Awards 2024, demonstrating the pioneering and collaborative value the building creates for the UK science industry.

£ 60

m

project value

10,386

sqm

gross internal floor area

8,5

ha

site area

£ 4,749

cost/sqm (based dated 18th January 2021)

The future

Gleeds is part of a consortium of prominent health, life sciences and construction consultants that has launched Constructing Science. This dynamic model enables building owners and investors to slash the process of building feasibility studies from months to minutes. It also provides much-needed clarity for the market with clear recommendations for high quality laboratory space from trusted practitioners.

With a turnover of £60 million in 2022, TTP aspires to be a market disruptor. With Project Birchwood concluded, and the development considered a resounding success, it has set a blueprint for future successes in the life sciences field.