Cepezed designs new building for Utrecht Science Park

Kadans Science Partner, an innovative housing company, is teaming up with major biotechnology firms to develop a new life sciences building called the Accelerator at Utrecht Science Park (USP). Designed by cepezed, the main users Genmab and Merus will focus on the development of therapies against cancer, while other tenants include new companies seeking to accelerate their progress from start-ups to established firms.

The building will be located on a prominent location at USP, a global leader in the field of life science and health. Delft-based architecture firm cepezed designed another research facility for Genmab, which was officially opened in 2018 and will directly connect to the Accelerator via a footbridge.  The new 22,000 sqm building will include office, laboratory and parking facilities, together with a 250-seat auditorium, ‘meet & greet’ space, and an extensive restaurant in the transparent plinth.

The flexible design is intended to provide a pleasant, healthy working environment, which is achieved by a high degree of daylight and plentiful greenery in the atrium. Such creature comforts also have a serious purpose, with welcoming spaces for informal meetings providing opportunities for sharing ideas. Johan van Gerven of Kadans Science Partner stated: “There is free coffee in a place where all researchers actually meet each other physically. We also do something similar at the Novio Tech Campus in Nijmegen, where we’re organising a barbecue that attracts 600 people. Ultimately, cooperation and cross-pollination are what we want for our tenants.” 

Ton Logtenberg, CEO of Merus and co-initiator of the project, agreed that the design was strongly influenced by the remit to fulfil the needs of the different parties involved. USP leaders aim to create a dynamic research environment, in which knowledge institutes and companies can cooperate to find new solutions to a longer and healthier life.

Construction on the Accelerator will start at the end of this year, with completion planned for the beginning of 2022.  

Lucy Nordberg
TenderStream Head of Research

This tender was first published by TenderStream on 15.12.2015 here

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