The job, awarded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, will see O’Rourke take the project, consisting of two main buildings, through detailed design and construction.

The hub forms the centrepiece of the government’s £2.8bn Science Capability in Animal Health (SCAH) programme, a 12–15 year redevelopment of the 93ha Animal and Plant Health Agency site near the M25 at New Haw.

Around 1,000 staff work at the site, which has been a base for animal health science for over a century.

O’Rourke will lead a full multidisciplinary supply chain including MEP, biocontainment, and design specialists.

Masterplan for full facility rebuild

The project is the first major capital phase of the wider NBC redevelopment, which includes demolition of outdated stock, site-wide infrastructure upgrades, and the construction of new state-of-the-art laboratories.

Design work is already underway, with most construction expected to ramp up between 2027 and 2032.

Facilities for the planned renewal programme will include 64,000m² of high-containment labs, 24,000m² of ancillary support buildings, and over 4,000m² of office space.

The Government says the new centre will secure the UK’s resilience against major animal disease outbreaks, many of which can jump to humans.

Mace is acting as programme delivery partner overseeing masterplanning, commercial strategy and delivery logistics, while Arup has been advising across the development phases.

The full SCAH programme includes:

• Enabling works to 2027

• Site-wide infrastructure to 2037

• Science Hub capital works to 2035

• Estate rationalisation from 2032–2037

The B951 Science Hub will be a central piece of the national effort to protect animal welfare, farming, and public health against future biosecurity threats.