ARC gets nod for more labs at Harwell Campus

ARC is set to embark on the next step of development at Harwell Campus in Didcot, Oxfordshire, after securing planning approval for Quad Three. The building will provide 75,000 sq ft of flexible office and lab space for single or multiple tenants. Quad Three, designed by Hawkins Brown, forms a part of the Quad masterplan and sits next to Quad Two, a 47,000 sq ft workspace, delivered in 2022 and occupied by UK Space Agency. Quad One measures 27,000 sq ft and is home to multiple tenants including Rezatec, Haydale Graphene, Longwall Venture and Faraday Institution.  Carter Jonas advised ARC on Quad Three planning matters. Quad masterplan and flexible advanced manufacturing facilities Zeta and Tech Foundry are part of ARC’s Campus 600 project which is set to triple the amount of lab space on the campus over the next two years by adding over 600,000 sq ft of facilities. Last year, the company secured £300m funding to bring forward the development.  The investment comes as the UK struggles to meet demand for companies wanting to move here. Knight Frank that there is demand for 2.2m sq ft of lab space but only 350,000 sq ft is available.  Stuart Grant, chief executive at Harwell Campus, said: “Campus 600 is the next step to achieve our long-term vision of building the world’s smartest square mile, and an investment in the future of UK science, innovation and society. “I can’t wait to see which organisations join our campus community.” The 700-acre Harwell Campus is already home to more than 250 organisations and £3bn of national facilities, including the UK’s synchrotron. The site has facilities targeted at early-stage companies and spin-outs, including its accelerator offering known as Motherlabs, with a dedicated lab manager and shared services that make it easy to start up a science business. Meanwhile, the Co:LABS offering was created to cater to venture capital firms, allowing them to be closer to the companies in which they are investing.  Image © Hawkins Brown