CGI of the planned innovation hub at Garston
BRE has confirmed plans for construction of a new £10m innovation hub for its Garston HQ near Watford.
A tender process has been launched this week for delivering the hub. Alongside the BRE’s existing Innovation Park demonstration buildings at Garston, the new development will form a centre for research and innovation in digital and smart technologies in construction.
Funded partly through the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, BRE says its new innovation hub has been initiated to incubate and accelerate new technology businesses in the sector. It expects the four-storey building to provide a home for up to 25 technology start-ups and SMEs, creating 150 specialist jobs in research and development.
BRE is working with architect AHMM on the new innovation hub building.
The Government’s industrial strategy document, Building a Britain Fit for the Future, has targeted greater take-up of offsite and other Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) through the Construction Sector Deal. This outlines three key strategic aims, including deployment of digital techniques during all stages of design, construction and operation of buildings, as well as MMC and a shift of focus to considering whole life costs in procurement.
