Breakthrough Properties Unveils Plans for Vitrum by Breakthrough In Cambridge's Most Advanced Life Sciences Environment

News provided by

Apr 25, 2023, 10:42 ET

Renowned Global Architecture Firm Henning Larsen Has Designed the Innovative UK Facility in St John's Innovation Park

CAMBRIDGE, England, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakthrough Properties, a leading global life sciences real estate developer, today unveiled development plans for Vitrum by Breakthrough, a world-class research and development environment tailored to cutting-edge biotechnology companies that rely on modern, flexible workspaces to advance scientific discovery.

Vitrum Rendering (courtesy Breakthrough Properties)

Located inside St John's Innovation Park in Cambridge, England, Breakthrough will transform the existing 1.8-acre site into a flexible, high-performance laboratory. Working with world-renowned architectural studio Henning Larsen, Breakthrough has designed the five-story, 132,588-square-foot building for maximum flexibility and adaptability for a wide range of scientific uses.

Vitrum by Breakthrough will promote site biodiversity and embrace the theme of "nature as a workplace." The unique design will harness the natural green spaces of St John's Innovation Park, extending them into the entrance plaza and the foyer of the building through the transparent façade. The surrounding landscaping is continued on the landscaped terraces and roofs. The ground floor will feature a co-working area, event space and coffee provisions to increase opportunities for interaction between people and teams, sharing knowledge and experiences. Construction is expected to begin in 2024, with occupancy anticipated in 2026.

"Vitrum by Breakthrough will further enhance the vitality of the local Cambridge market by offering an innovative and collaborative scientific environment for companies to advance life-changing research," said Breakthrough Properties Chief Investment Officer Daniel D'Orazi. "The development will appeal to R&D companies across the industry spectrum looking to establish a presence in the North Cambridge cluster where there is limited availability of purpose-built, Class A lab space."

Breakthrough's plans reflect the company's ongoing commitment to increasing energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and providing healthy workspaces. As with all of its European projects, Breakthrough commits to at least BREEAM Excellent certification, while striving to reach BREEAM Outstanding. Net zero in both construction and operation (for landlord areas only) is also being targeted for the project, as are WELL Platinum, WiredScore and ActiveScore accreditations.

The building is designed to function free of fossil fuels, with all-electrical heating and cooling systems. Built-in climate resilience will be achieved through passive design and reduced water consumption, mitigating flood risk and reducing the urban heat island effect. The facility will include more than 102 parking spaces and on-site electric vehicle charging stations, as well as dedicated bicycle storage.

"Vitrum by Breakthrough reflects our signature eye for design, landscaping, and wellbeing elements, with our uncompromising approach to specification, lab efficiency and functionality," said Thomas Renn, Breakthrough Properties Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for Europe. "More than ever, clients are seeking developments that offer best-in-class environments within world leading ecosystems. The planned Vitrum by Breakthrough delivers on both of these fronts with unrivaled work spaces, labs and amenities."

St John's Innovation Park sits on 21 acres with access to both the Cambridge town center and major transportation routes. Breakthrough intends to work collaboratively with local stakeholders to reposition Vitrum by Breakthrough in a manner that respects and enhances the long-term plan for the campus.

Founded in 2019, Breakthrough has established itself as one of the most active players in the life sciences sector, with approximately five million square feet of projects in its global pipeline. Earlier this year, Breakthrough unveiled its plans to transform Trinity by Breakthrough, located in Oxford, England, into a unique life sciences environment featuring nearly 170,000 square feet of bespoke labs and offices.

Breakthrough is also active in major life science markets throughout the United States. In Boston, it recently completed The 105 by Breakthrough, which now serves as CRISPR Therapeutics' U.S. Research & Development headquarters. It is also currently constructing Torrey View by Breakthrough, a 10-acre research and development campus in San Diego that will be anchored by a new innovation center for Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD).

About Breakthrough Properties (www.btprop.com)
Formed in 2019 as a joint venture between global real estate owner, developer, and investor Tishman Speyer and biotechnology investment firm Bellco Capital, Breakthrough Properties is a life science real estate development company that leverages cross-sector collaboration to deliver environments that foster innovation and scientific breakthroughs. Breakthrough Properties' mission is to acquire, develop and operate the best life science properties in leading urban technology centers around the world and support scientific innovation across biotechnology, agriculture, and nutrition. Breakthrough combines Tishman Speyer's decades of global real estate development experience with Bellco Capital's industry-making biotechnology entrepreneurship to reimagine environments where companies can create life-changing therapies for patients.

SOURCE Breakthrough Properties