Plan unveiled for Liverpool’s first net zero building.

Plans for Liverpool’s first net zero carbon building are to be shown at a public consultation next week.

Liverpool City Council is working with developer Sciontec to deliver the £35m project.

The landmark building is named Hemisphere, at Liverpool’s Paddington Village in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter.

Consultation

Sciontec is going out to public consultation ahead of submitting the plans. This, it claims, will be Liverpool’s first operational net zero carbon building.

As well as 120,000 sq ft of office provision, Hemisphere will include various collaboration spaces. In addition, a wellness studio, café, and large areas of biophilia will create a high-quality, green, public realm.

AHR Architects designed the building, aiming to achieve the principles of an operational net zero carbon building. Plans include aiming for a ‘WELL’ Building Platinum Standard, and a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.

Jobs

Sciontec is the commercial spin-out of KQ Liverpool and is jointly owned by various organisations. These include Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool City Council, and Bruntwood SciTech.

The proposed £35m building, next to The Spine, which opened in May last year, could support up to 800 jobs.

Hemisphere gets its name from the two sides of the human brain – creative yet logical. Each side of the office building is designed to have its own personality, look and feel.

The creative design approach is an homage to KQ Liverpool, as an international destination for the life sciences, healthcare, and tech industries.

Recovery

The public consultation event will be held on Monday, May 16, at The Spine, Paddington Village, between 4-7pm.

Councillor Sarah Doyle, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool and Cabinet Member for Development and Economy, said:

“For Liverpool’s post-pandemic economic recovery to succeed, we need to deliver high quality schemes that generate skilled jobs that are rooted in industries that reflect the needs of the 21st century.

“I’m delighted with the vision and ambition behind HEMISPHERE to be Liverpool’s first net zero carbon building. It would be a great addition to Paddington Village and would also provide Liverpool with much needed Grade A office space, giving people fantastic conditions to work in.”

Colin Sinclair, Chief Executive of Sciontec, said:
“HEMISPHERE will further build on the success of The Spine and the other recent developments at Paddington Village to create a world class destination for health, education, science and technology.

“This will not only help deliver highly skilled jobs for people within the KQ Liverpool Innovation District but for people all across the Liverpool City Region.”

Deputy Mayor of Liverpool and Cabinet Member for Development and Economy Councillor Sarah Doyle, said:

“For Liverpool’s post-pandemic economic recovery to succeed, we need to deliver high quality schemes that generate skilled jobs that are rooted in industries that reflect the needs of the 21st century.

“I’m delighted with the vision and ambition behind HEMISPHERE to be Liverpool’s first net zero carbon building. It would be a great addition to Paddington Village and would also provide Liverpool with much needed Grade A office space, giving people fantastic conditions to work in.”