Babraham Research Campus

Babraham Research Campus is a leading master planned hub in Cambridge, UK, with the purpose of starting, nurturing and growing bioscience business. The development vision for the 430-acre parkland estate is to create a sustainable ecosystem where private and government funded research come together with a shared scientific focus to accelerate innovation and strengthen links between academia and commercial.

As the Lead Consultant and Architect of the original masterplan and supplementary masterplans, NORR has been collaborating with the planning officers and community stakeholders since 2003. Located in the green belt, and on the edge of a conservation area, the campus contains listed buildings, areas of ecological significance and important archaeology that have resulted in both challenges and opportunities, particularly with respect to gaining planning consent to develop in such a sensitive setting.

To date, the team has designed and delivered individual plots within the master plan including 12 laboratory buildings, and support facilities including a biological support unit, conference centre, restaurant and sports amenities that are vital to a successful campus. A total of 500,000 square feet of buildings have been delivered over the course of the project.

Overall public realm improvements have also worked to achieve connectivity and support the wellbeing of employees and visitors. By adhering to the original master plan, visual continuity across the campus has been maintained while achieving a distinct identity for each building.

The success of Babraham Research Campus can be measured by the fact that it is home to over 60 companies, 2,000 employees and 300 academic researchers. It has a 98% occupancy level and a waiting list of companies wishing to locate on the campus.

In response to this success, the latest masterplan and vision document produced by NORR, and our partners, outlines a strategy for future growth, development and flexibility to respond to evolving requirements. It seeks to have the campus released from the green belt and allocated as a Special Policy Area within the ongoing Greater Cambridge Local Plan review.

Strategic master planning and design help to enable the translation of science into biomedical products that deliver social and economic impact and address global healthcare challenges.

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