Bouygues lands Cambridge project

A €165 million (£120 million) contract has been awarded to Bouygues UK to design and build new international headquarters for Cambridge Assessment, which is responsible for the operation and management of the UK’s Cambridge University’s examination boards.

Cambridge Assessment said the British subsidiary of Bouygues Construction had been chosen after a “long and thorough tendering process”.

Simon Lebus, group CEO of Cambridge Assessment, said, “Bouygues UK is an award-winning company that is committed to exceptional construction and sustainable practices, and has experience in both the public and private sector.”

Madani Sow, chairman and CEO of Bouygues UK, added, “We’re looking forward to working with Cambridge Assessment to build their new headquarters, supporting their expansion as they welcome an increasing number of students from all over the world.

“Cambridge also represents a new geographic area for us, where we see great potential for our business.”

Cambridge Assessment is a not-for-profit organisation that designs and delivers assessments to over eight million learners in over 170 countries.

Its new headquarters will be based on a brownfield site previously occupied by Cambridge University Press. The 2.5ha plot previously housed two warehouses and an office building, which have been demolished to make way for the construction of two new five-storey office blocks and a 39m tower. The buildings will be connected by a main courtyard.

Designed by Eric Parry Architects in conjunction with HLM Architects, the project was said to have been developed using the latest Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology and is expected to take around two years to deliver.

With a strong focus on sustainability, it is expected to achieve an Energy Performance Rating of A and is targeting the same Display Energy Certificate (DEC) grade for office developments.

Work has started on site, and handover is expected in September 2017.