A topping-out ceremony has been held to mark the completion of Cambridge City Council’s new Operations Hub in Cowley Road.
The hub, developed in partnership with VolkerFitzpatrick to better serve Cambridge residents and benefit the environment, has already won the title of Project of the Year – East at the National Project Excellence Awards for 2025.
When fully open, it will provide a modern, sustainable base for vital city council services along with operational offices, staff facilities and essential storage and parking for the council’s fleet of vehicles.
The new hub will enable better coordination and delivery of services like keeping our streets clean, maintaining public spaces, supporting safety and health functions, ensuring quick response for repairs in people’s homes.
By minimising waste and demolition during its construction, and in the way it will function sustainably as a building for many years to come, the new hub will also contribute significantly towards the council’s target of being a net zero council by 2030.
This major investment in the city’s essential infrastructure saw the refurbishment of an existing car showroom at Cowley Road alongside a two-storey extension with timber cladding and large first-floor windows.
The design has sustainability embedded into it, including solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems, provision for an all-electric council vehicle fleet, EV charging infrastructure, all-electric heating and cooling in parts, reinstatement of biodiversity on the site, and significant efforts to reduce embodied and operational carbon.
The project has also created £1.4 million in social value, through supporting local businesses and workers, creating training and graduate opportunities, and promoting diversity within the construction workforce.
Cllr Cameron Holloway, Leader of the Council, said: “The new Operations Hub is a fantastic facility for our hard-working staff, which will help us to provide high-quality essential services for residents, including housing repairs, street cleaning, and park maintenance. This award-winning building will bring our frontline teams together under one roof, while supporting our work towards Net Zero.
“This shows how ambitious public projects can be delivered responsibly, collaboratively, and sustainably. I'm grateful to everyone at the city council, VolkerFitzpatrick and Gleeds who has made this possible, and look forward to seeing the new Operations Hub in use for many years to come.”
Stuart Deverill, Managing Director of VolkerFitzpatrick’s Building Division, said: “Delivering the Cambridge Operations Hub has been a proud achievement for VolkerFitzpatrick. This strategically important facility not only consolidates vital frontline services under one roof, but also sets a benchmark for sustainable infrastructure and community impact.
“From its innovative design to the £1.4 million in social value generated, the project exemplifies our commitment to building spaces that serve both people and the environment.”
