A Topping Out ceremony at West Cambridge has marked the completion of the main structure of the £15.7m mixed-use development for Turnstone Estates and the University of Cambridge.

Dr Hermann Hauser and Dr Pamela Raspe joined Chris Goldsmith of Turnstone Estates, Mike Hart of contractor Willmott Dixon, and from the University Michael Bienias, Director of Estate Management and Professor Ian Leslie, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, to lay the last concrete section on the fly-tower plinth at the top of the building in celebration of reaching this significant construction milestone.

MD of Willmott Dixon Mike Hart said: “The topping out ceremony is a significant milestone in any project and is an opportunity to thank those who have brought the project to this stage. As with all successful projects it is about the whole team working well together from the client to the subcontractors. We can now look toward completion and the delivery a facility of which we, Turnstone Estates, the University and the whole project team can be proud.”

Chris Goldsmith of Turnstone Estates said: “I would like to thank Willmott Dixon and all the members of the construction and development team. This is an exciting project which will offer a great opportunity for the commercial sector to harness the excellent knowledge base that is available on the west Cambridge campus.”

The striking development of three separate linked buildings forms the latest stage in the expansion of the University's science and technology campus at West Cambridge.

The first two buildings will comprise a home for Cambridge Enterprise, a University-owned company focused on commercial knowledge transfer, an Idea Space for emerging companies and a seminar centre which will be used for events promoting Cambridge research to the business and investment community. A café and atrium meeting place will replace the existing temporary café and service the whole site.

These buildings, which will be ready by December, have been made possible thanks to an £8 million donation to the University's 800th Anniversary fundraising campaign from the Hauser-Raspe Foundation.

Michael Bienias, Director of University of Cambridge Estate Management said: “This is an excellent example of partnership working to deliver high quality architecture and good functionality to an agreed budget and programme. All these elements are key in the successful continuation of the University’s capital building programme”

The Broers Building, named in honour of the former University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Lord Broers, will provide 42,236 sq ft of high quality commercial, research and development and ancillary space which will be let to private organisations whose activities are relevant to entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer.

Turnstone Estates is developing this building on a speculative basis with funding provided by Dunbar Bank. Completion is on schedule for November and the letting agents are Bidwells and Januarys.

The building was designed by Wilkinson Eyre with Archial Architects.
 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.