The proposal for the expansion of the Wellcome Genome Campus builds on a previously approved masterplan, already consulted with local authorities and the public. The challenge was to reinterpret that framework, giving it a more cohesive architectural and landscape identity, while resolving its connection with the existing campus located across the A1301.
The project introduces a new civic heart —the Common— organising the development around a central park visually and physically linked to the original campus through a landscaped bridge. Key research, residential and community buildings are arranged around this space and tied together by a curving route that reinforces the unity of the whole and establishes a dialogue with the geometry of the existing campus.
The masterplan integrates scientific, residential and social programmes within a productive natural setting, embedding strategies for sustainability, biodiversity and pedestrian‑focused mobility. It redefines the relationship between science, community and landscape, turning the campus expansion into an opportunity to create a place where work and daily life remain connected to nature.
Juan Valeros worked closely with the project directors throughout the competition, focusing on the geometric re‑organisation of the masterplan and the architectural translation of the proposed adjustments to the original scheme. The proposal won first place and led to the subsequent commission for the project’s development.
