Energy efficient lighting company LEDinlight is the newest firm to set up its headquarters at the ultra green No.1 Nottingham Science Park – a move that will create three new jobs.
The Nottingham company, which currently employs four people, is moving into a 1,500 sq ft ground floor suite of the award-winning building, giving the growing business room to expand.
No.1 Nottingham Science Park was built by sustainable developer Blueprint to create a community of innovative businesses combining self contained Grade A space with the opportunity of “clustering” with other progressive businesses in the same building, close to the University of Nottingham.
It is part of Blueprint’s £50 million extension to the Nottingham Science Park off University Boulevard.
Eva Ottosson, managing director of LEDinlight, said: “We are a green company, and No.1 Nottingham Science Park is the greenest place in the city, so the decision to move was an extremely easy one.
“The building has a great feel to it, and from our first visit to the site, it just felt right for LEDinlight to be located here.”
As well as its eye-catching, award winning design, No.1 Nottingham Science Park incorporates a range of sustainable features while the rest of Blueprint’s science park development includes design and build opportunities around an attractive, public boardwalk and wetland habitat.
Designed by award winning London architects Studio Egret West, No.1 Nottingham Science Park is the biggest speculative development of its kind in Nottingham at over 45,000 sq ft. It also forms an important part of Nottingham’s Science City portfolio, providing space for growing technology companies to expand and create new jobs in the sector.
John Long, Development Director at Blueprint, said: “We are extremely happy to welcome LEDinlight to Nottingham Science Park. They are exactly the kind of cutting edge technology business it was designed for.
“To know that our commitment to sustainability was the major factor in their decision to move here is really significant, as a big part of what we are trying to do is showing that developments can not only be sustainable and commercial but that sustainability actually provides competitive advantage.”
No.1 Nottingham Science Park drives forward design and environmental sustainability standards on UK business parks. Green features include a brown roof aiding insulation and encouraging biodiversity, a biomass heating system, natural ventilation aided at peak times by a water based adiabatic cooling system, use of sustainable materials, and optimisation of natural light.
The building will significantly reduce operational costs for occupiers and could, it is estimated, reduce carbon emissions by around 60% from the 1997 building regulations standards. The building has been designed with reference to funder Igloo’s Footprint® sustainable investment policy.
James Hartley, of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor, said: “This level of interest is testament to not only the quality of the office space on offer within the development, but also shows you don’t have to sacrifice on the quality of office finish to provide an environmentally friendly building.
“I don’t think that there are many other buildings in the East Midlands let alone the UK, where you can combine up to 1GB upload and download internet connections with a brown roof and a near carbon neutral heating system.”
Partners in Blueprint’s Nottingham Science Park extension included emda, Nottingham City Council and Greater Nottingham Partnership, and the project was part financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The boardwalk was part financed by emda as public realm.
