Oxford North

Oxford North will be a new, globally significant innovation district for Oxford. Acting on behalf of Thomas White Oxford, subject to planning, Oxford North will support the world’s leading research university and celebrate science and technology and the application of knowledge. The 30ha site will provide nearly 100,000 sqm of workspace and research facilities capable of linking, fusing and subdividing to react to organisational, educational and social requirements. Up to £100 million of infrastructure investment, including £30 million to improve walking, cycling, bus and highway networks, will create a truly connected community for Oxford North’s occupants, residents and neighbours. Nearly 500 homes will be created, together with hotels, shops and cultural spaces. Our integrated approach to landscape delivers connectivity and sustainability, balancing amenity and accessibility with ecological protection and enhancement. New footpaths and cycle linkages through the site will allow access to the Oxford Canal, the centre of the historic city and towards nearby Oxford Parkway station. The masterplan delivers more than 9ha of open space including three new parks, and buildings that are sensitively oriented to enhance connectivity with the local landscape. This includes framed views towards Wytham Woods, an ancient woodland and designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is owned by the University of Oxford and is one of the most researched pieces of woodland in the world. The first phase buildings include the Red Hall, a dynamic workspace for start-ups, entrepreneurs and freelancers, with capacity for around 300 people to work collaboratively. The first phase buildings’ floorplates will be highly flexible, allowing a full range of occupiers, from a two-person start-up needing to incubate and grow, to a global organisation looking to thrive within a commercial ecosystem to develop ideas, collaborate and innovate. The intersections between science-based and knowledge-economy activities, academic research and places to live and socialise are catalysts for innovation and growth. Oxford North will attract world class talent seeking to cluster in proximity to this centre of research excellence. An energy sharing loop (ESL) linked to ground source energy systems via in-ground boreholes will connect all the buildings in the first phase. Water-to-water heat pumps connected to the loop will provide space heating and cooling as well as domestic hot water. This system alone will save over 21,000 tonnes of CO2 per year in the first phase. The loop is expandable for future phases, preventing the need for gas flues and exhausts, substantially enhancing local air quality. This solution supports the UK’s move towards zero carbon electricity within the lifespan of Oxford North. The project will reduce water demand by 40% in comparison to UK benchmarks, and 850 electric car charging points will support the city’s aspiration to remove fossil fuel-burning vehicles from the city centre by 2030. Almost 10km of new and upgraded cycle paths will be supported by facilities in the buildings that will encourage the use of low-carbon transport. The pursuit of BREEAM Excellent energy performance will place the workplace buildings in the top 10% in the UK.