Kier Construction has been awarded a £2.5m contract to build the 'Incubator', the first building to be constructed on the Enterprise Campus at the low carbon development of Alconbury Weald in Huntingdonshire.

Client and owner of the site, property group Urban&Civic, intends Alconbury Weald to transform a 1,420-acre largely brownfield site into a unique and inspiring place for working, living, learning and leisure.

On the Enterprise Campus, the Incubator facility will provide flexible space at the heart of the development for small and start-up businesses – with a particular emphasis on high-tech manufacturing and research & development.

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The Incubator will incorporate a number of environmentally friendly initiatives; including using 20% recycled aggregate in the concrete structure and recycled rain water for flushing toilets. The building will also be thermally efficient, using the mass of the structure for temperature control and a mixed mode ventilation system.

Wider plans for Alconbury Weald include provision of 5,000 homes, 700 acres of green open space and investment in a range of transport, energy and community facilities to support both the new residents and the surrounding town and villages.

Urban&Civic Project Director, Tim Leathes, said: "We are pleased to have appointed Kier to carry out the construction of the first iconic building, which will form part of the Enterprise Campus. As a locally-based construction firm, Kier can help us to achieve our ambition to ensure that sustainability is at the heart of the development of Alconbury Weald. As part of the contract Kier has committed to employing an apprentice and providing work placements for local students, which is just the start of our aspiration to provide jobs and opportunities for young people."

(CD)