Liverpool reveals plans for net-zero Hemisphere building

Liverpool City Council is preparing to push forward with plans for the city’s first operational net-zero-carbon building.

The £35m Hemisphere, in Paddington Village, will comprise 116,000 sq ft of office space for health, education, science and tech occupiers.

The council’s cabinet will receive a report next week recommending an agreement with developer Sciontec Developments, established by the council, the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, with Bruntwood SciTech joining as a fourth equal partner in May 2020.

The next step would be for a planning application to be submitted in mid-2022. It is expected Hemisphere’s construction would begin later that year and be completed in late 2024.

The developer will aim to achieve an Excellent BREEAM rating for the building, putting it among just 10% of buildings in the UK to have achieved this level of environmental certification.

The scheme is seen as critical to the city’s recovery, along with Festival Gardens, the Depot studios and Littlewoods Film Studios.

Sarah Doyle, deputy mayor of Liverpool, said the building would be “a great addition to Paddington Village and would also provide Liverpool with much-needed grade-A office space”.

Colin Sinclair, chief executive of Sciontec, said: “This will not only help deliver highly skilled jobs for people within the KQ Liverpool Innovation District but for people all across the Liverpool city region.”

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Image from Liverpool City Council