VolkerFitzpatrick has completed the first laboratory building at TRIBECA, London’s largest purpose-built life science campus, valued at £29 million.
The Apex building is the first phase of the development, comprising of more than 110,000 sq ft of space for laboratories, office and leisure facilities.
It is the first of five buildings to form TRIBECA, in the King’s Cross Knowledge Quarter, and will provide 1 million sq ft of space in London’s bioscience cluster.
VolkerFitzpatrick constructed the six-storey building, on behalf of Reef Group.
Designed by architects Bennetts Associates, The Apex has a ground floor café fronting Regent’s Canal and a double-height entrance on St Pancras Way.
The building can provide laboratory support services to all occupiers, as well as a roof terrace on the upper floors.
The first occupiers of the Apex building include the London BioScience Innovation Centre (LBIC), which has leased 39,000 sq ft to provide scale-up lab facilities for bioscience research.
The Francis Crick Institute is also supporting 52,000 sq ft of space and will offer managed labs.
The design also prioritised sustainability, using 13,000 earth blocks, made from subsoil excavated from the site, to construct the basement perimeter walls.
It resulted in a 84 per cent reduction in carbon emissions and saved 93 cubic metres of waste compared to traditional materials.
Meanwhile, low-carbon concrete was used for the reinforced concrete frame, and the incorporation of a blue roof water management system, to reduce the risk of urban flooding.
The building achieved BREEAM Outstanding status, as Apex reduces whole-life carbon emissions by 56 per cent.
Managing director of VolkerFitzpatrick’s Building Division Stuart Deverill said: “This project sets a new standard for sustainable urban development.
“By combining cutting-edge construction techniques with a focus on community engagement, we’re creating spaces that benefit both people and the environment for years to come.”
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