Sciontec Plans Hemisphere Lab Complex in Liverpool

Sciontec is planning to construct Hemisphere, a £156 million laboratory and office development in Liverpool, U.K. Strategically sited in the city’s Knowledge Quarter, the complex will include two eight-story structures offering a total of 216,861 nsf. Designed by AHR to foster workplace wellbeing and productivity, this nexus of discovery will also include a central biophilic plaza, interior greenhouses, showers, and a cycle hub.

Representing an investment of £61 million in the first phase, Hemisphere One will provide sophisticated biology and chemistry labs on the five upper floors, complete with wash-up and write-up facilities. An adjoining collaboration zone will include breakout venues and a computer lab. Below, fully flexible office levels with 16,000-sf floorplates will be supported by Sciontec AI (All Inclusive) services, with the ability to subdivide into smaller environments for optimal workflow. The ground floor will be home to an innovation lab, a business lounge, an events area, a wellness studio, and a café. Set to be the first operationally net-zero-carbon building in the Liverpool City Region, Hemisphere One is targeting EPC Rating A, NABERS 5.5, BREEAM Excellent, Platinum WELL, and WiredScore certified.

Spanning 99,503 sf, Hemisphere Two will accommodate business incubator and commercial lab space, as well as housing advanced chemistry and robotics labs. The double-height Artificial Intelligence Materials Hub for Innovation will integrate AI and robotics to drive advances in research and manufacturing. 

Morgan Sindall is the general contractor for Hemisphere One, with Wintech as façade engineering consultant. Worthington Owen and Avison Young are acting as leasing agents. Carter Jonas is the leasing agent for Hemisphere Two. Construction on the first phase is expected to begin in fall of 2025, with occupancy anticipated in early 2027.