The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International

The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) needed a new headquarters that matched its global environmental mission, but funding it required an innovative approach.

Working alongside the organisation's leadership team, we helped turn a complex challenge into an award-winning £40 million development that balanced commercial, environmental and operational priorities.

Finding a route to delivery

CABI is an international not-for-profit organisation working to address challenges in agriculture and the environment around the world.

Its existing headquarters no longer met its needs, but funding a new building through traditional capital expenditure was not an option.

We were appointed to provide project and programme management services alongside commercial management, and we worked closely with the executive team from the outset. Our role included stakeholder engagement, procurement, governance, risk management, programme leadership and robust commercial support.

Part of the existing site was identified for residential development, creating an opportunity to fund the new headquarters through a carefully structured development agreement. The wider 3,200m² scheme combined commercial and residential elements, creating a practical way to fund the project while supporting the long-term future of the organisation.

This was about more than delivering a new building. It was about creating a viable route to make the project possible.

Building the right team and strategy

We worked alongside planning consultants to secure outline consent and led commercial negotiations with development partners. Through a competitive design competition process, we appointed the architect and wider consultant design team.

With senior stakeholders balancing demanding day-to-day roles, decision-making needed to be efficient. We developed concise reporting processes that helped the team review information quickly and move the project forward with confidence.

We also led the procurement and appointment of a residential developer, with the residential outturn funding the delivery of CABI’s new headquarters.

A headquarters shaped by sustainability

Environmental performance shaped the project from the beginning. Reducing energy use, lowering running costs and minimising maintenance were central to every design decision.

The aim was simple – create a building with a light touch on its surroundings while providing an efficient, practical workplace for the long term.

The building achieved an EPC A rating and adopted a fabric-first approach to reduce energy demand. The design makes the most of natural daylight while carefully controlling solar gain. The building's orientation was carefully considered to maximise daylight, while its low-profile form helps create natural self-shading and reduces the need for artificial cooling. Passive ventilation strategies help maintain comfortable internal conditions while reducing reliance on mechanical systems.

A living roof supports biodiversity, creating habitat for insects and birds while contributing to cooling. Together with the building's fabric-first design approach, it helps reduce energy demand while supporting occupant comfort.

The result is a workplace that reflects CABI's values as much as the way its people work.

Delivering long-term value

Careful phasing allowed infrastructure works, housing and the headquarters to be delivered while CABI remained fully operational.

The project was completed on time and within budget, with the cost of the new headquarters successfully covered through the wider development strategy.

Today, the building provides a sustainable workplace for 180 staff and reflects the organisation's long-standing commitment to the environment.

The project received widespread recognition, including Project of the Year at the 2021 OxPropFest Awards and the Constructing Excellence SECBE Project of the Year Award (under £10 million).