University of Cambridge awards £80 million contract to BAM Construction on the North West Cambridge Development

Worth approximately £80 million, the BAM contract includes building significant areas of the new local centre, named Eddington, on the North West Cambridge Development. Situated within the heart of the site, the works include 352 homes for University and College key workers built to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5, as well as a supermarket and retail units, a doctors surgery, and the shell of the energy centre built to BREEAM Excellent standard.

Gavin Heaphy, Construction Director of the North West Cambridge Development, said: ‘BAM’s considerable experience in the realisation of large and complex projects, coupled with their commitment to sustainable delivery made them the right choice to become our partner for two major Lots on the development (Lots 1 and 3). This particular project holds many of the key “local centre” elements of Phase 1, delivering as it does: Supermarket, Energy Centre, Healthcare Facility and Key Worker Housing.  We are delighted to have this experienced team on board to realise the University’s aspirations and to build a key part of the next chapter of Cambridge.’

Stuart Robinson, Construction Director for BAM, said: ‘It is a pleasure to work with the University of Cambridge on its impressive development within the City. Our work forms a major part of their scheme and will require expertise and considerate management skills. We will draw on our strong track record in Cambridge, having delivered the complex Laboratory of Molecular Biology for the Medical Research Council, and a new University Technical College here. Our knowledge of the local supply chain and the community allows us both to be an efficient contractor and a good partner. It's an exciting project, and we're keen to get started.’

BAM will build to the designs from Wilkinson Eyre, Mole Architects, Mecanoo and landscape architects, Townshend, and will work alongside the North West Cambridge Development consultants, Turner and Townsend Project Management and Gardiner and Theobald Cost Management.

Works on the site wide infrastructure began in Winter 2013 and there will be phased completions for the North West Cambridge Development, with the local centre open from Spring 2017.

For more information visit www.nwcambridge.co.uk

About the North West Cambridge Development

The North West Cambridge Development is the largest single capital project that the University of Cambridge has undertaken in its 800-year history. Outline planning permission was granted in February 2013 for the scheme, subject to approval of site-wide legal conditions and Reserved Matters Applications, on the 150-hectare site of University farmland situated in between Huntingdon Road, Madingley Road and the M11.

The masterplan includes 3,000 homes (50% ‘key worker’ housing, available for qualifying University and Colleges employees), 2,000 post-graduate student spaces, 100,000 sqm of research space, a local centre and community facilities including a primary school, nursery, doctors’ surgery, supermarket and retail units, as well as all of the site-infrastructure and landscaping for the scheme. The development has been designed as an extension to the city, with an urban rather than suburban grain and will be of the highest design quality as well as being an exemplar of sustainable living.

Project team

• Client: University of Cambridge
• Project: North West Cambridge
• Project Management: Turner and Townsend
• Planning and Masterplanning Consultant: Aecom
• Cost Management: Gardiner and Theobald
• Engineering Consultants: URS
• Transport Consultants: Peter Brett Associates
• Sustainability Consultants: Aecom SDG
• Legal Consultant: Berwin Leighton Paisner
• CDM Consultant: Faithful and Gould
• Public Art Consultants: Contemporary Art Society and Insite Arts

Lot 1 and 3 Contractor – BAM Construction

Lot 1 Architect – Wilkinson Eyre with Mole Architects

Lot 3 Architect – Mecanoo