TTP’s New Technology Campus

SDC has handed over TTP’s bespoke technology campus designed to inspire creativity and encourage collaboration.

Located next to the Melbourn Science Park, this large-scale development provides technology consultants TTP with three new state-of-the-art buildings. The scheme provides 100,000 sq ft of mixed office and laboratory space, a large-scale project workshop, plus an event and dining hub, in a design that’s entirely bespoke to the client.

The development features three separate and differently shaped buildings on the 7-hectare site, with the main building, The Hive, sandwiched between the Tech Barn to the North, and The Exchange, to the south of the site. Key to the design is the variety of indoor and outdoor working and social spaces, with all buildings connected to the external landscaping and fitness trail.

The Hive provides 77,016 sq ft of mixed office and laboratory space, which is open plan and all on one level. The building's unique shape takes inspiration from a beehive and features over 20 ‘squares’ stacked around one another. A reinforced concrete frame supports an exterior adorned in curtain walling, pre-cast concrete cladding, anodised rainscreen cladding, and louvre screens. Internally, The Hive features an exposed roof slab and concrete columns with a raised access floor system to house the mechanical ductwork. A range of acoustic finishes have been included on the walls and ceilings to soften the concrete surfaces. The flexible and adaptive open labs encourage innovation, and high-specification meeting pods throughout the office space provide private collaborative working areas.

The second building, a steel-framed ‘Tech Barn’, now lies North of this once greenfield site. Offering over 17,631 sq ft of focused laboratory, testing and build space, the structure’s double-height open workshop area allows the client complete flexibility depending on project requirements. The subtle exterior features anodised aluminium cladding, louvre screens, and fair-faced blockwork.

The last building, The Exchange, is the main social, event and dining space. Visible from the entrance to the site, The Exchange boasts 9,591 ft2 of collaborative, agile working, and social space for employees to enjoy, with a restaurant, conference facilities, and a gym. The interior mimics the Hive with an exposed concrete roof slab and frame but instead features the addition of a green roof. Outside, the building features faceted curtain walling with glazed anodised aluminium louvres covering almost half the façade.

Sustainability features heavily on this campus, with the buildings designed to operate on low energy with minimal need for heating and cooling. A fabric-first approach has ensured that a high level of insulation and high-performance windows and doors were installed, facilitating good air tightness and therefore minimising energy use by maximising glazing on the south elevation with solar shading. The exposed concrete superstructure uses thermal mass to further balance the energy consumption. Energy-efficient air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outside to provide heat and hot water. At the same time, the Hive features over 580 photovoltaic panels on the roof, allowing TTP to produce 38% of their energy requirements sustainably.

Spoil from construction has been kept on site and used to sculpt the extensive landscape, which boasts a new freshwater wildlife pond with aquatic plants, wildflower meadows, wetlands, mature planting, native hedgerows, and hibernacula built into the site boundaries. Collaborative outdoor space has also been provided to encourage stimulation in a diverse environment.

The building collection houses state-of-the-art labs, offices, and manufacturing space, but the facilities also provide TTP’s staff with comfortable relaxation spaces connected to the surrounding wildlife.