Creating a flagship science and innovation facility
Edinburgh Innovation Hub
Client
Queen Margaret University and East Lothian Council (joint venture)
Progress
Complete
The design behind this nationally significant development has created a class leading inclusive, holistic and collaborative environment to foster innovation in life sciences.
The background
The Hub is a £40m flagship development which is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, led by an ambition to create a nationally significant facility to capture, support and grow innovation-led enterprise across Edinburgh and East Lothian.
Focusing on important high growth sectors with specialist needs, including life sciences and technology and food and drink, the Hub is already supporting innovative start-ups and small to medium sized businesses, delivering a specialist service for research and business development. It provides a vibrant new economic innovation cluster featuring serviced and fitted commercial laboratory, office and events space.
The design approach
In creating the Hub, our diverse mix of sector specific expertise has been harnessed from across the practice. The Science and Technology team have led the design for a variety of modular laboratories ranging from 136 to 2000 square feet and designed to containment level 2 standards, complete with ancillary services such as benching and dedicated write up areas. To accommodate the unique needs of the laboratory environment, the Hub has an elevated level of vibration and structural performance.
In collaboration with our Workplaces and Interiors teams, a fully flexible range of office and meeting spaces have been created to accommodate day to day working, meetings, conferences and events. With the essence of the project being centred around collaborative innovation, spaces which are flexible to a diversity of needs, inspire informal interactions and provide both privacy and creativity will feature.
Our work with the client to develop their BIM strategy has supported them on their journey to BIM level 2. The team used digital twin solutions, to identify opportunities for efficiencies in how the building is run and managed.
This has been an amazing opportunity for our team to deliver a world class facility to foster innovation and collaboration in the food, drink and health sciences sectors. The new Innovation Hub forms a unique and valuable addition to the Edinburgh and the Lothians science & innovation sector. We are very proud to have been central to its creation.
Steve Charman
Partner