en.Wedoany.com Reported - Bruntwood SciTech has announced the practical completion of the Greenheys building at Manchester Science Park. The 131,000 sq ft building has been hailed by its owner, Bruntwood SciTech, as the city's most scientifically capable asset.
Bruntwood SciTech is an innovative enterprise formed as a joint venture between Bruntwood, GMPF, and Legal & General. The building was designed by BDP, and its practical completion has been described by the company as a landmark moment. Greenheys has received funding support from UK Research & Innovation and forms part of Bruntwood SciTech's strategic infrastructure within Manchester's Oxford Road Corridor knowledge quarter, an area that also includes Manchester Science Park (MSP), the Citylabs campus, and Circle Square.
According to Savills, by 2028, science, R&D, and technology are expected to contribute nearly a quarter of the economic output of Manchester city. At the heart of the building are flexible Containment Level 2 (CL2) laboratories and write-up spaces. Delivered on time and on budget by Willmott Dixon, these spaces are equipped with dedicated exhaust systems, high-specification local exhaust ventilation (LEV) capacity, and advanced air handling systems, designed to support the most complex analytical and research work.
Supporting facilities include high-security access control, clinical waste and chemical storage, and a goods receiving area with a dedicated service lift and loading dock, all designed for the logistics of moving samples, equipment, and materials at scale. The developer states that occupiers will also benefit from workspaces and amenity spaces designed to support flexibility, collaboration, and wellbeing, including bookable meeting facilities, breakout areas, cycle storage, and changing facilities. Other amenities in the area include the Abbey pub, recently refurbished and reopened by Bruntwood SciTech.
Greenheys has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating, is an all-electric building, and features the largest living wall in Manchester city centre. The living wall comprises 160,000 plants across approximately 18,000 sq ft, with Cheshire-based company I Want Plants joining the project team.
UK Biobank will occupy three of Greenheys' six floors, which will provide it with a new headquarters and research facilities. The organisation is currently preparing to relocate 11 million biological samples from its ultra-low-temperature automated storage facility in Stockport to Greenheys, while around half of its team will also move into the building. UK Research & Innovation is supporting this relocation.
Sam Darby, Development Director at Bruntwood SciTech, said that Manchester and the wider North West are at a crossroads of significant economic opportunity, and that the enormous potential of the region's innovation sector depends on the development of the networks and spaces needed for ambitious businesses to grow. He said that Greenheys is a partial response to this need, marking an important moment in the continued delivery of specialist infrastructure in the city. The building is designed for research-led organisations that require high-quality laboratory space, access to exceptional talent, and direct integration into a world-class research, clinical, and academic ecosystem. This milestone also consolidates Manchester Science Park's role as a key component of the city's innovation infrastructure, while bringing the goal of welcoming UK Biobank to its new headquarters a step closer. He added that at Greenheys, there is the capacity to support numerous other organisations engaged in scientific discovery at the highest level, helping them to collaborate, attract talent, and accelerate impact.
The delivery of UK Biobank's new headquarters is supported in part by a £127.6 million investment from UK Research & Innovation through its Infrastructure Fund. The organisation has been carrying out fit-out works on site since November. Dr Ceri Williams, Executive Director and Senior Responsible Officer for projects at the Medical Research Council, part of UK Research & Innovation, said that as one of the world's most important health research resources, UK Biobank provides researchers globally with access to data and biological samples that underpin breakthroughs in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Through investment in its new headquarters and automated sample storage, the organisation is strengthening its capabilities and reach, enabling discoveries that improve lives and cementing the UK's position as a global leader in life sciences and health research.
The project team also includes Deloitte, DW Consulting, Walker Sime, Silcock Leedham, Curtins, NX Consulting, Tyler Grange, RSK, GIA, Zed, and ND Oliver.
