Fareham Innovation Centre provides serviced workspaces for small and medium sized enterprises with emphasis on the engineering, marine and aerospace industries. It is located in the Solent Enterprise Zone at Solet Airport at Daedalus.
Phase 1 of the centre was a great success and occupancy levels massively exceeded expectations. A mark of this was that it immediately won the award for the most innovative small business project at the Federation of Small Businesses Awards.
The Practice was invited to design Phase 2 of the Centre to build on the success of Phase 1 to provide some of the facilities that phase 1 had lacked, namely conference facilities and larger workshops.
Phase 2 totals 3,400m² and is sited immediately adjacent to Phase 1 and provides an additional 33 offices and 5 workshops, some of which are double height. The phases are physically linked at two levels, so their facilities can be shared.
The existing building remains the hub of the Innovation Centre and provides reception, management support facilities and small meeting rooms.
The extension is two storeys generally but includes a third storey to accommodate the conference facilities which can cater for up to 120 people in 1 space which can be subdivided into two separate areas that can operate independently. This also benefits from an external terrace with panoramic views of the adjacent airfield.
The conference facility can be used by occupiers or hired for external events as it has secure access and its own facilities to prevent unwanted access into the rest of the Innovation Centre.
Phase 2 uses the same materials and architectural language as Phase 1 so there is no obvious distinction between the two and they appear seamless.