New BioScience Centre Plans Submitted

Plans have been submitted to Nottingham City Council for a ground-breaking new bioscience facility, which forms the next phase of Nottingham’s The Island Quarter development.

The Island Quarter is a major mixed-use development, which is unique not just for Nottingham but for the Midlands and the UK. The 36-acre site will be totally transformed to bring new homes, grade A office space, creative spaces, a lifestyle hotel, PRS apartments and co-working space, retail units, a ‘linear’ park and vibrant community and event space as well as student accommodation for the city.

The development is a vital part of the regeneration of Nottingham’s Southside and the developers, Conygar, are working closely with Nottingham City Council to align with its vision for the city.

The latest proposals, which continue the development to the northern edge of the 36-acre development, follow our role as delivery architects for 1 The Island Quarter, comprising Cleaver & Wake and Binks Yard. The plans feature more than 248,892 sq ft of high-quality, flexible research and laboratory space, further enhancing the city’s reputation as the bioscience capital of the UK.

With 1 The Island Quarter now complete and open, it’s clear to see the significant difference set to be made as the development’s various phases progress. These plans mark a really exciting step in Nottingham’s overall story, helping to further position the city as a UK leader in both large-scale development and biosciences as a sector.

Our designs comprise of two buildings, with a five-storey building to the east and a seven-storey building to the west. The two will be connected by a glazed link at the upper levels and will provide a mix of laboratory, office and meeting spaces.

The external landscaping is also designed to echo the vision for the overall site, featuring rainwater gardens and medicinal planting along with an ecology-focussed street linking the latest phase with the rest of The Island Quarter.

Christopher Ware, property director at Conygar, said: “Nottingham has a world-renowned reputation as a leading city for innovation, and that is never more the case than in the field of biosciences. Bringing forward this phase of the development will create vital research space for some of the city’s most innovative businesses, and further grow its standing in the bioscience sector.”

Richard Watson of The Island Quarter project delivery team said: “This latest phase is another significant step forward for the regeneration of The Island Quarter, bringing the potential for hundreds of new jobs and increasing the footfall across the wider site. With 1 The Island Quarter now fully open for business and the student accommodation set to be ready for the 2024/25 intake, it’s a truly exciting time not just for the project, but for the city as a whole.”