Project Brief
Client
Avacta
Project Type
Turnkey laboratory and office fit-out
Value
£500,000+
Key Areas
Laboratories
Tissue-culture suites
Cold room
Offices
Meeting rooms
Staff welfare facilities
Avacta New Laboratory Facility, Cambridge
Following Avacta’s acquisition of a site on the outskirts of Cambridge, InterFocus was appointed to deliver the internal fit-out on a turnkey basis.
The project involved stripping back and reconfiguring the existing accommodation to create a purpose-designed facility combining specialist laboratories, tissue-culture facilities, office accommodation, meeting rooms and staff welfare areas.
The scope brought together internal building alterations, laboratory planning and mechanical and electrical (M&E) services within a coordinated delivery strategy. Works included new partitions and rooms, upgraded electrical distribution, ventilation and temperature-control systems, and the supporting infrastructure required for scientific and administrative operations.
This integrated approach reduced interface risk between disciplines, provided a clear route from design through installation and created accommodation capable of supporting Avacta’s immediate operational requirements and future development.
Client Requirements
Avacta required a flexible, technically coordinated facility to support specialist scientific activities alongside the needs of its office-based teams.
Key requirements included:
- Creating fit-for-purpose laboratories, tissue-culture facilities and supporting spaces.
- Integrating the mechanical and electrical infrastructure required for laboratory operations.
- Providing dedicated office, meeting and staff welfare accommodation.
- Coordinating the relevant planning and Building Control processes.
- Phasing the works to prioritise essential accommodation and support early occupation.
Phased Delivery Approach
The project was structured in phases across multiple units on the site. Phase One focused on alterations to the main building, so that essential operational accommodation could be completed and occupied as early as practicable.
Subsequent phases extended the facility into additional units while maintaining consistency across the overall design, building services and operational requirements.
This approach aligned construction activity with Avacta’s priorities and established clear handover points between phases. Close coordination of strip-out, construction, laboratory installation, building-services commissioning and statutory approvals was central to managing dependencies and maintaining oversight throughout delivery.
Programme reviews, design coordination meetings and quality checks provided a framework for tracking progress, resolving technical issues and assessing readiness at each stage.
Main Scope of Works
- Full strip-out of ground-floor areas in Units B and D
- Internal alterations, new partitions and circulation routes
- Laboratories, tissue-culture suites and a controlled cold room
- M&E design and installation, including new distribution boards, an air-handling unit and temperature control
- Upper-floor offices, meeting rooms and staff welfare facilities
- CDM coordination throughout
- Planning and Building Control liaison
Project Outcome
InterFocus delivered the facility as a fully coordinated turnkey project, with essential accommodation handed over early so Avacta could begin operating from the site while later phases progressed. The completed building gives Avacta purpose-designed laboratories, tissue-culture suites and modern office space on a single site, supporting its scientific and administrative teams and providing room to grow as its work develops.