Specialist regeneration developer Blueprint has already collected a string of nominations and awards for its No. 1 Nottingham Science Park, a development that sets new standards in design and a new approach to environmental sustainability.

Declaring the 45,000 sq ft development open for business, Minister for the East Midlands Phil Hope MP said he was amazed by the building's design and delighted by its green credentials.

“I am delighted to learn that No. 1 will use little more than half the energy of conventional offices. Given the threat of climate change, we really do need to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.”

No. 1 is the focal point of Blueprint's £50m, 12-acre extension to Nottingham's existing Science Park, which has turned a contaminated site into one of the most exciting new developments of its kind in the country. Designed by architects, Studio Egret West, No. 1 is the biggest speculative development of its kind in Nottingham, targeted at growing hi-tech businesses wanting space from 2,000 sq ft upwards on flexible terms.

Green features include hi-tech elements like a biomass boiler, a water based cooling system, sustainable materials and simple but highly effective low-tech solutions including opening windows and optimisation of natural light.

Blueprint has worked with a range of partners on the Science Park - including emda, Nottingham City Council and Greater Nottingham Partnership and the project was past financed by the European Union Regional Development Fund.
Nick Ebbs, chief executive at Blueprint, said:

“The design of No. 1 Nottingham Science Park is bold and adventurous, a good match to the spirit of its potential occupiers. It incorporates sustainability not as an ‘add-on’ but as an intrinsic quality of the building and creates a place that inspires and stimulates.”