A new three-storey office/Laboratory building has completed at Peterhouse Technology Park in Cambridge. Designed by Scott Brownrigg for British Land, ‘The Optic’ provides over 100,000 sq ft of prime office and flexible laboratory space and forms part of a wider strategy to meet demand for life science space within the Oxford Cambridge Arc.
Located adjacent to the Scott Brownrigg designed Headquarters for Arm, the building features a complementary form and architectural language with aluminium fins used for solar shading and to articulate the first floor, and a recessed second floor which creates a wrap-around external roof terrace and amenity. A unique curtain walling system produces a captivating ‘parallax’ effect that transforms as viewers move around the building, with subtle golden tones that harmonise with surrounding fields.
Inside the entrance, an impressive double height reception space features a curved timber clad interior with a curved steel staircase, statement lighting, and space to create settings for informal work and meetings. A flexible internal arrangement with accessible shower and WC facilities on every floor allows for single or multi-occupancy, with up to two tenancies per floor or a potential floor by floor split. Floor to ceiling glazing floods interiors with natural light and offers fantastic views across the landscape.
High quality landscaping provides external amenity space with opportunities for outdoor working, with permeable surfaces and swales that act as natural boundaries to the site and help minimise water runoff from higher fields to the south. A continuous path around the perimeter of the site with a trim trail for children encourages movement and provides amenity for nearby residents.
The building has been designed to achieve an BREEAM Excellent rating, built using recycled raised access floors and reused aluminium and glass, and incorporates an external air source heat pump and a bio solar photo voltaic roof to generate renewable energy as part of the wider sustainability strategy. Occupants will also have access to secure cycle storage and changing facilities, accessible parking and over 94 EV charging hubs.
Head of Life Sciences Ed Hayden said: “The Optic is a building that truly responds to its setting. The parallax façade was designed to create a dynamic, ever-changing experience—its golden tones shifting with movement and light, reflecting the landscape at the edge of Cambridge’s rural fringe. We wanted to create more than just high-quality lab and office space; we wanted a place that feels connected to its environment, where innovation happens in a setting that’s both inspiring and sustainable. Seeing the building come to life, with its interplay of materials, light, and nature, is incredibly rewarding, and I’m excited to see how it supports the next generation of science and technolog”.
The Optic sets a new benchmark in the quality of design for life sciences and reinforces Peterhouse Technology Park as an important centre for innovation and forward-thinking in Cambridge. Successfully providing the space and facilities leading tech and life sciences firms need to grow, neighbouring tech firm Arm holdings has been confirmed to take tenancy of the building.