SEGRO Research Hubs

SEGRO began life in 1920 as the Slough Trading Company led by Sir Percival Perry and Noel Mobbs who acquired a large site on the Bath Road in Slough following the end of the First World War. The site developed rapidly as a location for numerous manufacturing companies, and over the decades that followed the company continued to expand, acquiring further sites within the UK. Today, SEGRO has a vast portfolio of land and commercial property across Europe, valued at £9.5bn in 2018.

The original site became known as the Slough Trading Estate, and today has a working population of 20,000 people and is the home to companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Virgin Media, O2, and Centrica. Paul started working with SEGRO in 2012 and has completed a series of masterplanning and concept studies for various sites across the Trading Estate.

Projects have focused on the R&D sector and have involved working closely with pharmaceutical and consumer health companies looking to establish major UK research hubs. Facilities have included offices, research laboratories, good manufacturing practice (GMP) operations, cafes and restaurants, with overall floor areas varying from 15,000m² to 30,000m².

Design solutions that encourage a rich mix of social interaction is a crucial element in the design of research and development facilities, which have been proven to transform business operation and contribute significantly to an organisation’s success. The schemes developed for these projects have focused on driving interaction and creating great places for people to work and socialise.