BDP’s Greenheys plans for Manchester Science Park lab approved

The project, which will begin its enabling works later this summer, will deliver a £60 m redevelopment of the Park’s existing Greenheys building to bring 131,000 ft² of specialist lab space to market in the heart of Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor innovation district.

BDP says the design will transform the building into ‘a state-of-the-art, six-storey development for life sciences businesses working in diagnostics, genomics, biotech, and precision medicine’.

Specialist design features include increased vibration resistance and floor loading, piped gas distribution systems, and enhanced cooling and ventilation, BDP says its embracing of the latest innovations in building materials and environmental technology will see the building achieve Net Zero carbon in construction and operation in its shared spaces, while reducing embodied carbon through smart specification and supplier engagement. The development is targeting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.

The building provides ‘a variety of speculative laboratory and supporting office spaces’. BDP said: “It also offers the amenities and spaces that inspire and facilitate collaborative working between like-minded businesses, with high security access, 100GB superfast connectivity, food and beverage stations, and shared breakout and social areas.” 

Greenheys will have 62,000 ft² of space available for scale-up life science businesses, who can take advantage of the location in the heart of Manchester’s Oxford Road Corridor innovation district. It will also be the new headquarters for life sciences company, UK Biobank, said to be the world’s most significant source of data and biological samples for health research.

Gary Wilde, Architect director at BDP, said: “The redevelopment of Greenheys is one of the most forward-thinking, creative building projects in the scitech industry in the North. With more emphasis on innovation and life sciences in the region, the ability to design this new building – which optimises use of the existing site to deliver flexible laboratory spaces – shows we are designing for a prosperous future. It also demonstrates the creativity of Bruntwood SciTech and its commitment to the growth of this industry in the area.”

The Greenheys redevelopment is the third phase of the Park’s masterplan to grow the campus to 1 million ft², and is expected to open in spring 2026, with enabling works beginning later this summer. BDP is delivering architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and acoustics consultancy.