Highlands and Islands Enterprise – Centre for Health Science, Inverness

The Centre for Health Science is a publicly funded research centre, which was developed in an effort to consolidate the Life Science facilities in Inverness into a single building accessible to a wide variety of users. The building now accommodates research groups from Lifescan, the University of Highlands and Islands, University of Aberdeen, Stirling University and the NHS.

With the project led by Inverness and Nairn Enterprise (now Highlands and Islands Enterprise), Turnberry was appointed to formulate a development and funding strategy which could create a deliverable and affordable building. Identifying the lack of unified commitment and enthusiasm towards a new scheme as a principal obstacle in the process, Turnberry established the need to move forward with an envisioning process and with additional financial support from the European Regional Development Fund. Turnberry produced a design brief for the Centre, organised an architectural competition on behalf of HIE, and moved forward with the planning process to ensure adherence with ERDF requirements. This period of increased activity and momentum engendered confidence in the project and set a precedent for the continued collaborative efforts. A working group, chaired by the Chief Medical Officer of Scotland, was also established in order to ensure that the scheme met the requirements of the diverse array of potential user groups, including a diabetes-focused pharmaceutical company managed by Johnson & Johnson and the NHS. The conflicting needs of these groups played a major role in the development of the Centre, with matters managed consistently by Turnberry in conjunction with HIE.

The first phase of the building, designed by Bennetts Associates, was completed in 2006. Phase II and Phase III followed swiftly thereafter, and Phase III is now complete and comprising a joint venture between the University of the Highlands and Islands, Lifescan pharmaceuticals and the NHS.