The Crop Innovation Centre

The James Hutton Institute followed strict affordability caps for the project. Through early contractor involvement, McLaughlin & Harvey were able to work collaboratively with AtkinsRealis and the wider design team to deliver the client’s needs within budget. Importantly, they involved the client’s estates management team in the change control process to ensure that the design retained its original functionality. Value engineering included an alternative mechanical and engineering strategy, an alternative ceiling design and a revised landscape strategy.

Construction of the new building posed unique challenges due to its location within the active campus. McLaughlin & Harvey's project team worked closely with the James Hutton Institute’s project management team, focusing on logistical planning to ensure minimal disruption to staff. Modern vacuum techniques were used to safeguard existing infrastructure and ensure that there was no disruption to operations.

The new Crop Innovation Centre building is now home to both the IBH and the APGC, along with several central facilities including main entrance, collaboration and shared meeting space, auditorium and canteen.

The project team understood the requirements set out by the James Hutton Institute - to provide a sustainable building, and through working with the design team, they incorporated industry-leading materials and techniques to limit the whole life carbon of the facility.

The IBH is fully equipped with a new auditorium, boardroom, advanced laboratories, meeting rooms, open-plan offices and a café. And, built to deliver innovative solutions for food and environmental sustainability, the APGC boasts an active travel area, a pathogen laboratory, state-of-the-art growth cabinet facilities and a phenotyping centre.

Some of the key sustainability measures include:

• Low fabric U-values and air infiltration in excess of the Scottish Technical Standards requirements
• Air source heat pumps to provide hot water needs, along with heating and cooling of occupied rooms
• Reduced lighting power densities using low-energy LED lighting along with daylight dimming controls and PIR controls
• Use of natural ventilation where possible and heat recovery on the mechanical ventilation elsewhere
• Sub-metering of energy consumption to enable building users to better understand their usage

The building is powered by a high-performance data computer farm, which is one of the largest in the UK. Over the next 10 years, it is projected to contribute to over 900 collaborative industry projects supporting an additional 2,600 jobs in the UK, of which 1,760 are in Scotland, specifically 470 in Tayside. It has been estimated that it will contribute over £900 million GVA to the UK economy, with over half of this in Scotland.

Upon completion in July 2024, more than 100 researchers and staff members were working in 44 lab spaces and supporting office accommodation to deliver their world-leading research activities.