Railpen’s Botanic Place to redefine Cambridge workspaces with 333,000 sq ft landmark
Railpen, manager of the £34bn railways pension scheme in the UK, has begun the construction of Botanic Place, its 333,000 sq ft (NIA) office development in Cambridge's commercial area, with Skanska UK as the main contractor. The £242 million project is the largest speculative office development to begin in the South East this year, with Skanska already on-site and aiming for completion by early 2028.
Located next to Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Botanic Place has been designed by Stirling prize winning architect, AHMM. It includes two buildings intended for use as office headquarters for national and international businesses, and both will deliver market-defining quality, amenity and experience.
The larger building offers 171,000 sq ft of space across eight floors, including a roof-top pavilion, with each floorplate accommodating up to 26,400 sq ft. The adjacent building is 147,000 sq ft and consists of six storeys and a roof-top pavilion, with floor plates up to 33,000 sq ft. The office spaces are designed to maximise natural light and provide views of the Botanic Garden from multiple levels. Botanic Place features over 40,000 sq ft of terraces all fitted with planting and furniture, new public spaces, and landscaped gardens inspired by the Botanic Garden, which will be available for both private and communal activities.
The development will also retain and see the refurbishment of the historic Flying Pig pub within its landscaped setting, and included in the development are 15,000 sq ft of internal amenities, event spaces, and food and beverage areas. Additionally, Botanic House, a nearby 52,000 sq ft office building, is part of Railpen’s property portfolio and is fully occupied.
Botanic Place aims to meet high operational and environmental standards, targeting BREEAM Outstanding, WELL ‘Platinum’, and WiredScore ‘Platinum’ ratings.
Matthew Howard, Head of Property at Railpen, said: “The appointment of Skanska UK to deliver Botanic Place begins the creation of this best-in-class, generational office headquarters scheme in the best location in central Cambridge. Demand for headquarters space in the city is strong, driven by the growth of the innovation and technology sectors, but this will be the first development of a truly global standard. With green, planted roof terraces providing amazing views of the city, high-quality public spaces and F&B offerings, Botanic Place will be a unique working experience, showcasing a market-defining scheme, comparable to the very best offices in London and Europe.
“The start of construction of Railpen’s second development in Cambridge also adds to our momentum as we establish an eco-system supporting growth in the city and the UK economy as a whole.”
Botanic Place is one of Railpen’s 11 assets in its 1.9m sq ft Cambridge innovation cluster, and the second to break ground, following the start of construction of Mill Yard, its £180 million,180,000 sq ft mixed-use campus adjacent to Cambridge train station and the city’s vibrant Mill Road.
The development is being delivered in association with Socius, Real PM and AHMM.
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