Overbury has successfully completed a £1.7M Cat B fit-out of the R4 building on the UKRI campus in Harwell, transforming an empty office into a modern, inclusive, and neurodiverse-friendly workspace for the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), procured via the Procure Partnerships South East Framework, and delivered on time and to budget.

Project Background: From Vacant Space to Inclusive Workplace

The R4 building on UKRI’s Harwell campus sat vacant, identified as the prime location for STFC’s new workspace. STFC needed more than just an office fit-out; they needed a space thoughtfully designed to support the full spectrum of how their people work. Crucially, the environment had to be genuinely accessible and neurodiverse-friendly.

The Outcome: A Space Designed to Last

Today, the R4 building is a fully functioning, modern office environment.

The Cat B fit-out delivered:

  • A modern, open-plan office designed to support both collaboration and focused, quiet work
  • An accessible kitchen and fully accessible toilet facilities, alongside two further WCs
  • A 12-person meeting room with an acoustic sliding screen for flexible use
  • Acoustic solutions throughout, creating a comfortable environment for neurodiverse users
  • A dedicated comms room serving the building’s technical infrastructure

Social Value Impact

The project’s impact extends well beyond the building itself. Through Overbury’s supply chain, nine apprentices gained valuable on-site experience during the project. Additionally, £550,000 was invested with medium-sized suppliers within a 30-mile radius of the site, delivering meaningful benefit to the regional economy.

How the Right Procurement Route Made It Possible

Overbury was appointed through the Procure Partnerships South East Framework, providing STFC and UKRI with access to a trusted, pre-vetted contractor without the time and resource burden of a lengthy standalone tender process.

Having previously delivered the R68 building on the same campus earlier in 2025, Overbury was able to arrive with established relationships, site knowledge, and a clear understanding of how UKRI and STFC operate. The decision to retain the same project team across both buildings allowed lessons learned on R68 to be applied directly to R4, including involving STFC’s security team in planning meetings from the outset to streamline access for supply chain partners.

Chris Witterick, Key Account Manager (South), Procure Partnerships Framework:

“With two buildings now delivered on the Harwell campus by Overbury in 2025, it’s brilliant to see their relationship with STFC and UKRI going from strength to strength. The Procure Partnerships Framework provides a clear route to re-appointing Overbury for future projects on site.”

Nick Kyriacou, Contracts Manager, Overbury:

“It was a pleasure to continue our relationship with UKRI and to also create new relationships with the wider project team, who all collaborated seamlessly together to deliver a fantastic looking project to budget.”