Base Reaches Practical Completion

Our long-term vision for Manchester Science Park is one step closer as Base reaches its completion milestone. Base will play a significant role in supporting the growth of Manchester’s knowledge economy and will become a new specialist hub in the city, building on the region’s internationally recognised tech and manufacturing cluster. here, and I intend to remind people that this extraordinary institution represents the best this country has to offer

Bradley Topps, commercial director at Bruntwood SciTech

Work on the five-storey, 91,000 sq ft development started in December 2020 at the height of the pandemic, led by main contractor Caddick Construction, and even through the challenges of the past 18 months has completed only a few weeks after its pre-pandemic predicted completion date.

Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, has specifically designed Base both for companies working in the high growth, Industry 4.0 tech arena and for those moulding and training the next generation of highly skilled, specialist talent to support such businesses; including those working in low carbon, light manufacturing, computer and energy technology, gaming, and animation.

Base is ideally located at Manchester Science Park, one of the country’s most vibrant, thriving communities of scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs, with over 150 fast-growth start-ups, scale ups and global businesses working in digital health, cyber security, digital technology, medtech, light manufacturing, biotech and diagnostics. Businesses locating to Base will also be located in the heart of one of the UK’s most densely concentrated life science and tech clusters – the Oxford Road Corridor innovation district, a top 5 European innovation district and the largest clinical academic campus in Europe.

Base offers a mix of office space and a dedicated makerspace workshop for the prototyping of new, or modifying existing products. Additionally, Bruntwood SciTech has the capability to incorporate a bespoke lab space if requested by a business moving in. The building also comprises a welcome lounge with breakout space, meeting rooms including a 24-person board room, internally secure cycle storage with a sports kit drying room, showers and lockers, and an indoor/outdoor roof terrace event space for up to 165 people which has expansive views across the city centre and innovation district.

Base is the first major redevelopment at Manchester Science Park to incorporate a number of sustainability measures which will enable the building to operate at Net Zero Carbon across common areas. They include 704sq m of PV solar power which is expected to generate around 114 MWh of electricity per year and a hybrid heating and cooling system with a significant reduction in refrigerant gases, resulting in far lower emissions and optimised energy consumption. Over 360sq m of carpet from the former Base building has been recycled – 60% of which has been reused as flooring finishes, while the remainder has been turned into useful energy through a waste-to-energy facility. These measures will help to reduce the building’s carbon footprint by 22% and have supported the building in achieving an EPC A rating.

The pedestrian links through the campus to Oxford Road have also been improved as part of the investment in the external landscaping, which includes 50 new trees, wild grasses, bird nest boxes and below-ground beehives.