Charnwood Campus, Building 28
Client: Charnwood Campus Science innovation Technology Park
Our Approach
The brief
Building 28 at Charnwood Campus marks a transformative step in the UK’s life sciences infrastructure. Located within the country’s first designated Life Sciences Opportunity Zone, the project aimed to regenerate a long-abandoned research facility into a world-class hub for pharmaceutical innovation.
Originally constructed in 1997 and vacated by AstraZeneca in 2011, the building stood dormant for over a decade. The challenge was clear – deliver 9,417m² of flexible, MHRA-compliant laboratory and office space to meet urgent demand for high-specification wet labs, while embedding sustainability and future adaptability at every level.
Acting as lead consultants, CPW provided strategic leadership and technical delivery across the entire building services scope. Our role extended beyond engineering, we coordinated all design disciplines to ensure alignment with client objectives, programme milestones, and the campus’s long-term vision.
A strategic transformation
This £4.6m redevelopment was delivered in just 12 months, a fraction of the time required for a new build. By recommissioning rather than rebuilding, the project achieved significant carbon savings, preserved valuable infrastructure, and accelerated delivery to market.
The building is split into East and West wings. The East wing now houses Kindeva Drug Delivery, a global CDMO investing in sustainable inhaler technologies using low-GWP propellants. The West wing accommodates Almac, another leading pharmaceutical organisation. Together, these tenants anchor Charnwood Campus as a nationally significant life sciences cluster.
Our design strategy focused on decoupling the building from its legacy steam-based systems and introducing decentralised, energy-efficient alternatives. This included high-efficiency gas boilers, electric chillers, and hybrid-ready ventilation systems with energy recovery. All systems were designed for seamless transition to full electrification, ensuring long-term resilience and alignment with net zero goals.
Technical excellence
Delivering a facility of this calibre required meticulous planning and coordination. CPW’s responsibilities included:
MEP design and delivery for GMP-grade clean environments
Lab-specific ventilation systems with smart air handling units and energy recovery
LED lighting strategy with daylight and occupancy sensors for efficiency
Vertical transportation systems integrated into the building’s new layout
Smart controls to optimise performance and reduce energy waste
Every element was modelled and coordinated to meet or exceed MHRA standards, ensuring compliance without compromising flexibility or comfort.
Sustainability embedded
From the outset, sustainability was a core priority. By reusing the existing structure and internal infrastructure, the project avoided the carbon-intensive impact of demolition and new build. Combined with decentralised plant, LED retrofitting, and night-setback ventilation, the scheme targets 30% energy and carbon savings.
Future readiness was equally important. All systems were designed to enable full electrification, supporting Charnwood Campus’s ambition to become a net zero ready life sciences cluster.
Impact beyond the building
This project is more than a technical achievement, it’s a catalyst for economic and social regeneration. The development is projected to create 222 direct high-value jobs and over 1,100 supply chain roles within five years. Annual business rate income of over £400,000 will be retained within the local Enterprise Zone, funding public services and regional growth.
Community benefits include STEM outreach programmes, foodbank partnerships, and improved campus amenities such as EV charging and tree planting. These initiatives reflect the three sustainability pillars of People, Planet, and Prosperity, reinforcing the campus’s role as a driver of inclusive growth.
Strategically, the scheme aligns with the UK Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, supporting inward investment, skills retention, and the levelling-up agenda. It also addresses a critical national challenge: the shortage of wet lab space that has historically constrained the UK’s ability to scale scientific research.
Key achievements:
Regeneration Project of the Year Award 2025 Winner (ProCon Leicestershire)
£4.6m redevelopment delivered in 12 months
9,417m² of MHRA-compliant lab and office space
Fully let to Kindeva upon completion
Designed for longevity: decentralised systems, future electrification, and 30% energy savings
Intelligent reuse of structure to retain embodied carbon
Projected to generate 222 direct jobs and 1,100+ supply chain roles
Building 28, Charnwood Campus, exemplifies what forward-thinking, purpose-led design can achieve. It combines technical excellence with sustainability, adaptability, and economic impact, setting a new standard for non-residential development in the life sciences sector.
Delivered at pace and scale, and collaborating closely with the client and wider project team – this development demonstrates how strategic partnership and innovative engineering can breathe new life into dormant spaces, creating facilities that not only meet today’s needs but anticipate tomorrow’s challenges.
Steve Allin, CEO Charnwood Discovery:
“The truly world-class facilities at Charnwood Campus provide us with a key piece in our strategic plan to become the provider of choice for integrated drug discovery and development services within the global life sciences sector. The new laboratories will provide substantial capacity for future growth and expansion of our medicinal chemistry and process research teams, along with the addition of related drug discovery service lines.”
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