Competition launched to find design team for Oxford University Development

Oxford University Development, a £4bn joint venture between the University of Oxford and Legal & General Capital, has launched an international design competition to find a creative masterplan team for its £1bn mixed-use Innovation District at Begbroke Science Park.The winning design team will work on a project designed to transform the area around the university’s Begbroke Science Park.The project will also create a community of up to 2,000 quality homes, with new schools, public park and nature reserve.Oxford University Development’s aim is to create a scheme that “demonstrably achieves a step-change in sustainable design, delivery, and operation.”The new district will improve transport connections and enhance the surrounding natural landscape with the site providing a new setting for the University’s science and innovation, which will help address global challenges including food security and biodiversity, to climate change and the need to move to a zero-carbon economy.The competition is open for international, UK-based and local teams and encourages large established practices to join forces with individuals and emerging practices to provide new perspectives on how to develop the area to its full potential.The competition is being managed by Colander Associates, who have created a hashtag, #OUDcompetition, for companies to find each other online.The regeneration programme will be multi-phased. The first phase of the scheme will bring forward new facilities for the University’s research and development, as well as providing space to incubate spin-out companies.