Spires II, Botley Road, Oxford

A building to foster collaboration.

This project is a number of ongoing schemes with Life Science developer Mission Street. The fantastic scheme comprises new-build Office and Laboratories across ground and four upper storeys with construction in April 2024 following the current tenant lease expiry.

The total NIA of the building following redevelopment is anticipated at c.120,000 sf, with a GIA anticipated at 145,000sf. The initial design envisages a rectangular building with a main atrium separating open plan labs on the western elevation and CAT A offices to the rear.

Flexibility through design

The building is to be designed for multi-occupancy, flexible, research and development use, allowing for the incorporation of CL2 laboratories, suitable back-of-house areas to accommodate lab use, collaboration and amenity space, as well as enhanced landscaping and parking areas.

The building should have a design impact and visually improve the vicinity, providing a gateway building for the road and the potential expansion of redevelopment in the area to create a science cluster.

Sustainability at its core

To enable significant space savings for our client we have maximised the net internal area by proposing AHUs with integral heat pumps which has not only reduced the initial capital outlay for our client but has enabled the scheme to maximise lettable area.  Carbon dioxide Air source heat pumps have been provided for the landlord hot water system and there are circa 1000m2 of Photovoltaic panels above the plant screen. These innovative MEP proposals have allowed the scheme to currently achieve BREEAM Excellent and further reduce operational carbon as part of the overall low zero carbon strategy.