£1.7m improvements to Hexagon Tower
The UK’s only vertical science park in north Manchester is set for £1.7m of investment to improve energy efficiency.
Hexagon Tower, based in Blackley, has received the investment from landlords LaSalle Investment Management, which manages the facility as part of the Business Environments for Science and Technology (BEST) Network of UK science parks.
The upgrades to the iconic building, which was built in 1973, will see energy efficiency improved by 30% and a 1,500 tonne reduction in carbon emissions every year – the equivalent of taking more than 400 cars off the road.
There will be a complete re-design of the heating system at Hexagon Tower, enabling warm air leaving the building to pre-heat the air coming in, while a new Building Management System will control the technology.
The installation of the new green initiatives follows general improvements to the heating and ventilation system at Hexagon Tower, including improved thermal insulation throughout the 14-storey building and upgrades to the 42-year-old roof.
Michael Cripps, BEST Network operations and finance controller at Fasset, which manages the science park on behalf of LaSalle Investment Management, said: “Like Hexagon Tower, Manchester has been at the forefront of science and technology for centuries – so we’re delighted to be investing in green initiatives at the facility and secure the future of one of the city’s greatest monuments to industry.|
“With the support of one of the largest investment companies and a strong network of science parks facilitating excellence across the UK, we are able to ensure that measures carried out at Hexagon Tower allow it to provide great facilities without compromising our responsibilities to the local environment.”
The investment will be implemented over the next five months, with work expected to be completed in October.
Hexagon Tower is part of BEST Network, the largest portfolio of privately owned science parks in the UK, spanning from Scotland to the south coast of England.
Established in 2010, BEST aims to provide a vibrant, inspiring and productive community of forward-thinkers across all of its six science parks by providing shared facilities to help companies integrate and share best practises.
Cripps added: “We look forward to continuing to provide enterprises with state of art facilities, along with an infrastructure that will open new doors to allow firms to grow organically and flexibly – thus ensuring the North West remains a powerhouse for science.”
