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Start of Quad One building

The Rt Hon Ed Vaizey, MP for Didcot and Wantage and other leading local dignitaries took part in a groundbreaking ceremony today to mark commencement of a new office and lab building at Harwell.

Leading Oxfordshire dignitaries attended a ground breaking ceremony to mark the commencement of construction of Quad One, a new office and laboratory building at Harwell Campus.

Quad One is the first building in the next 25-acre phase of Campus development and is set to attract science and technology businesses that are keen to locate themselves within a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment.

The Quad One building will provide a total gross area of 40,000 sq ft of offices, labs and technical space, plus a gym and café. Designed by Hawkins Brown Architects, it forms one corner of a new public square to the front of Harwell, overlooking one of the Campus’ sports fields.

This new development starts in the same month as the recent Autumn Statement by the Government, which highlighted the important focus and investment that the UK is placing on innovation and infrastructure in the coming years. The building is programmed for completion in 2017.

Angus Horner, Director of the Harwell Campus Partnership said ‘We are tremendously excited about Harwell’s ongoing and substantial expansion and its rapid evolution into a world beating science and technology Campus for the UK. The news about further investment by the Government in these vital sectors to promote innovation has been very encouraging and re-affirms our own commitment to deliver economic growth into the County of Oxfordshire, as well as throughout the rest of the UK.’

The ground breaking ceremony was attended by guests including the Rt Hon Ed Vaizey, MP for Didcot and Wantage; Dr Tim Bestwick, Business and Innovation Director at the Science & Technology Facilities Council; Catherine Pridham, Director of Finance & Corporate Affairs, UKAEA; Craig Millar, Operations Director, SDC; Councillor Reg Waite, Vale of White Horse District Council; Adrian Lockwood, Oxfordshire LEP; Angus Horner, Director of the Harwell Campus Partnership; William Cooper, Partner, Harwell Campus Partnership and Gordon Duncan, Partner, Harwell Campus Partnership.