The Golden Egg: Affordable, high spec wet lab space available NOW

Riverlabs has got what everyone wants…

• A 28-acre life science campus which will deliver 440,000 sq ft of lab space across three phases with 141,423 sq ft (GIA) of ready-built, affordable, wet laboratory and write-up space available NOW.

• Situated in Ware, Hertfordshire, within a 45 min radius of London, Cambridge and the established Cell & Gene Therapy cluster in Stevenage, putting occupiers at the heart of the Golden Triangle.

• An unrivalled opportunity for fast growing life sciences companies and ambitious, scaling contract research/manufacturing organisations wanting direct and efficient access to customers across the Golden Triangle.

Availability, affordability and position, combined with Ware’s legacy as a location for great science means this opportunity won’t be around for long. Interested parties should contact the joint agents - JLL and Creative Places – immediately, or alternatively read on for further details…

Immediately available: Riverlabs 1

An intelligent refresh, transforming the Campus’ current labs into modern, welcoming and sustainable working environments, will take place in three phases in order to address the chronic shortage of UK life science space as quickly as possible.

Available immediately is Riverlabs 1. With occupation possible from May 2023, Riverlabs 1 offers 141,423 sq ft (GIA) of ready-built, affordable, wet laboratory and write-up space over four floors. The accommodation will be extensively refurbished to suit tenant needs with the benefit of existing high-quality equipment, including ducted fume cupboard provision.

The kitted-out labs also include:

• Air handling units which can be configured to provide air changes in the ranges of 8 to 10 per hour.
• Strategically positioned drainage points.
• Range of floor to ceiling working heights from 2.6m to 3.5m.
• Load bearing concrete floors.
• Vinyl over screed floor coverings to laboratory areas.
• Heating and cooling using variable refrigerant flow and heat recovery systems.
• Bottled laboratory gases hard piped throughout the buildings.
• Secure loading and storage yard.
• Capacity for backup power provision by way of external generators.
• 4MVA to Riverlabs from UKPN.

Liam Nicholls, Partner, Creative Places, says: “There isn’t anything else like this in the market right now in the UK. The proximity to GSK, which is keeping, and investing in, its prototyping and manufacturing facilities on site, is an additional reason to choose Riverlabs as a home already immersed in big pharma activity, collaboration and world-wide success”.

Next up: Riverlabs 2

The next opportunity, available for fit-out from May 2023 is Riverlabs 2 – 219,900 sq ft (GIA) of wet laboratory and write-up space over three floors. The first floor consists of existing fully fitted flex-labs with the remainder of the building refurbished to the latest industry standards. The labs are suitable for use from CL2 to CL4 with a maximum 30 air changes per hour.

Built on a legacy of great science

Home to GSK for 50+ years, there is a lasting and continued legacy of Ware as a place of innovative research and scientific prowess.

The area is seen as a leading location for European and UK headquarters outside London and the Western Corridor, drawn by the advantages of competitive costs, access to markets and global connectivity. There are more than 30 significant company headquarters in the county, including GSK and Roche, representing sales of more than £1billion. The wider Hertfordshire life sciences sector is also thriving, with over 200 life sciences businesses now located here.

Lying at the heart of the Golden Triangle and sitting on the emerging Cambridge to Kings Cross life sciences Innovation Corridor also gives Riverlabs-based organisations access to a huge pool of life sciences talent to recruit from, being less than an hour from London and Cambridge. Hertfordshire alone has a significant talent pool; home to 33,847 scientists and 30,645 laboratory specialists.

A location that accesses all areas

Set within a unique, open campus environment enjoying natural waterfront to the River Lea, 15 acres of open green space gives way to a sports club, tennis courts, cricket pitch, five-a-side football, access to water-based activities (including paddle-boarding), river walks and nature on the doorstep. Within a minute or two of the lab, staff can be strolling down the river - it’s a 15-minute riverside walk to the train station and 12 minutes to the historic, leafy, vibrant market town centre - or taking the footpaths across the King’s Mead reserve, soaking in the nature all around.

Ware itself offers a wide selection of housing and an amazing range of local amenities: good schools, lots of independent restaurants, cafes and shops, hotels, green spaces, leisure, sports, gyms and even an outdoor lido.

Joshua Doble, Senior Surveyor, JLL, comments: “Riverlabs is some of the most affordable laboratory space in the Golden Triangle. With its ready-built top spec labs, beautiful and well connected-location, and immediate availability, this exceptional opportunity is matchless and has already sparked a lot of interest”.

Looking towards a sustainable future

Riverlabs has an exciting future vision with proposals including extensive relandscaping, a new entrance, plaza area and restaurant. Sustainability is also a focal point with a vision to create an exemplar sustainable development that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the RIBA 2030 Net Zero Climate and Bio-Diversity Challenge. The campus is targeting a 75%+ overall reduction in onsite carbon emissions to create a net zero carbon campus.

With the huge demand for lab space and the lack of immediate availability, these spaces won’t be around for long. Don’t delay, contact the agents today.

JLL - Joshua Doble
joshua.doble@eu.jll.com
+44 7783771576

Creative Places - Liam Nicholls
liam.nicholls@creativeplaces.com
+44 7884869400

Discover more about Riverlabs here: www.riverlabsware.com

Media Contact Information: 

Sarah Brereton, Director, Limewash
E: sarah@limewash.co.uk
M: 07796 583 223