Fabrica is a five-storey building to go up in central Oxford, accommodating laboratory and office space.
It is being developed by Mission Street, a specialist investor, developer and operator for the science and innovation sector, and real estate investment manager BGO.
Bowmer & Kirkland will begin construction in May 2025, marking the biggest UK science project to start in the first half of the year following the completion of groundworks and site preparation by Colemans.
Expected to complete in early 2027, the 180,000 sq ft Fabrica scheme is located on Botley Road in Oxford’s West End innovation district.
According to the developers, Fabrica is the first commercial science building in the UK to target a BREEAM Outstanding certification. It will also be Oxford’s first Living Wage building, requiring all employees working within it to receive a Living Wage or higher.
Bowmer & Kirkland is also engaged under a pre-construction services agreement at Mission Street and BGO’s 23-acre District East science scheme in Cambridge.
Mission Street development director Colin Brown said: “Following a collaborative, positive procurement process, Bowmer & Kirkland will shortly take forward the science and innovation sector’s biggest construction start of 2025 so far. As science companies increasingly look to central Oxford for its extensive amenities and unrivalled transport connections, which will include the future link to East West Rail, Fabrica’s delivery represents a major vote of confidence in the UK market.”
Fabrica marks the second phase of Oxford’s Central Science District, following the completion of Mission Street and BGO’s Inventa scheme in 2024.
Bowmer & Kirkland group construction director Neil Brook said: “Our teams approached this project collaboratively from the start, allowing us to complete the tender process in just 10 weeks. We look forward to starting on-site at the end of May with a 96-week programme.”
The joint venture between Mission Street and BGO has a wider pipeline of 1.5 million sq ft across Oxford, Cambridge and Bristol. Earlier this month, the partnership completed construction of the second phase of The Press, Cambridge, delivering 100,000 sq ft into the Cambridge market.
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