Liverpool is to get its first ever net zero carbon office, following the announcement of plans by developer Sciontec, a commercial spin off of the Liverpool Knowledge Quarter that is jointly owned by the city’s universities, the city council and science and tech firms.
It is proposing a 35 million building called Hemisphere that will deliver 120,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, as well as a café, wellness studio and a large amount of green public realm based on the biophilic model, which involves a large number of plants and foliage interspersed with the workspace.
While the city council’s involvement means it is backing the plan, a public consultation has been launched ahead of the submission of a planning application.
If the project does receive planning permission, the new development will be located at Paddington Village in the Knowledge Quarter. Designed by AHR architects, the aim is to be not just carbon neutral, but achieve BREEAM ‘very good’ rating and a ‘WELL’ platinum building standard. The process will create 800 construction jobs, including 100 apprenticeships.
Air permeability testing will be an important element of the final stages of the construction project, as energy performance will be central to the project’s aims of achieving these high ratings and categories.
Discussing the project, deputy Mayor of Liverpool and Cabinet Member for Development and Economy Sarah Doyle said: “It would be a great addition to Paddington Village and would also provide Liverpool with much needed Grade A office space, giving people fantastic conditions to work in.”
She added that it would “also highlight how serious the city is in tackling climate change as well as attracting the brightest minds to develop cutting edge medical research”.
Sciontec was officially launched at Liverpool Science Park in February 2020, with developer Bruntwood joining as a 25 per cent shareholder in May that year.
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