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Location: University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton
Client: Promega UK
Value: £6.5m
Status: Completed September 2019
Promega
ArchitecturePLB’s Initial competition design reflected the Promega ethos of ‘under one roof’, with offices floating over the logistics, laboratory and training elements of the scheme. Once selected for the project the design was re-visited through close consultation with Promega’s senior team and all employees.
This included a study tour to the US to meet the Global Planning Team and visits to several of their existing facilities, in Madison, Wisconsin. This allowed us to understand Promega’s ethos and re-interpret many of the strategies we saw in Madison, for a UK context.






The final design is split into two wings enclosing a landscaped courtyard and joined by a glazed entrance. The single-story wing, containing logistics and a laboratory, is wrapped in a stone wall and topped with green roof. The two-story wing contains offices, training facilities and social spaces and has an Innovative sculptural roof.
Connection to the natural landscape is a pivotal part of the design. The ground floor spaces, including a kitchen, social space and fitness room spill out into the landscaped gardens. The first floor looks onto the wildflower green roof of the logistics wing and to the mature landscape beyond. A terrace and stairs link the open plan offices to the building’s surrounding landscape which has been designed as a series of garden spaces providing a range of experiences.
The building’s bold design uses self-finished, high quality materials. The building has a hybrid structure of concrete, steel and timber with an innovative zinc sculpted roof form which takes inspiration from the landscape. The roof is an exposed hybrid structure in a hardwood Laminated Veneered Lumber (LVL), forming beams with a Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) structural infill.
The interior strategy was developed to give a rich and diverse range of spaces full of character. The design for finishes, colour, material, texture, lighting, loose and fixed furniture gradually changes as you move from the more public facing areas into the more personal staff spaces.
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