BDP - Offices Development - Welwyn Garden City, Shire Park

Date: 22 Aug 2003

BDP’s London office has made a planning application for a 21,800 sq. m new UK Head Office for Roche, the UK affiliate of F. Hoffmann-La Roche, one of the world’s leading healthcare companies.

John Melville, Managing Director of Roche in the UK, said:

“Roche is proud to have contributed to the health – and wealth - of the UK since 1908 and to have been an important part of the business community in Welwyn Garden City since 1938. Our plans for this exciting and innovative new office complex demonstrate our continued commitment to Welwyn Garden City and to the UK.”

BDP won the appointment to supply design services last autumn following a tough bidding and presentation process beating a number other prestigious international architectural practices.
BDP Project Director Chris Langston commented,

“This is a fantastic opportunity to allow Roche to consolidate their activities - which are currently fragmented across a number of buildings - under one roof,. Roche also wish to use the design of their new building to help shape their UK and global business activities for the future; it’s a big step and we offered Roche a dynamic and supportive multi-disciplinary team to help them through the process.”

The project is sited in Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City about a mile north of Roche existing facilities. It will provide a new home for over 1100 Roche employees and has a covered “street” as its focal point – a space for people to meet and talk. The street connects a range of facilities including a restaurant, café, health and fitness center, library and open plan work floors.

The three storey work areas also have atria and a courtyard, bringing in plenty of natural light from the landscaped surroundings. All together, the building covers 21,800 square meters on a 4-hectare plot of land.

BDP’s multi-disciplinary appointment includes architecture, interior design, all engineering and landscape design plus cost consultant and planning supervisor duties through their joint venture partner claruspcm.

Subject to the decision by Welwyn Hatfield District Council, Roche would hope to start construction at Shire Park this winter, with employees moving into their new offices in late 2005.

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