Science on show.
Exhibit, observe, participate, connect: top publicly accessible installations and initiatives
1.
Interactive exhibitions
science happening: Astrazeneca discovery centre
Accelerating the pace of drug discovery and development, the DISC features full-height glazed lab walls, public viewing spaces, STEM education, and community programmes.
Purpose-designed to make cutting-edge drug discovery and medical research visible to visitors. astrazeneca.co.uk
2.
Transparent labs
science explained: the francis crick institute
At Europe’s largest biomedical research institute, find family learning laboratories, public exhibitions, and community programmes linking science with art and culture.
Dedicated to understanding the biology of health and disease, it helps demystify laboratory science through hands-on experiences. crick.ac.uk
3.
Festival fun
science party: cambridge biomedical campus
These guys get involved with Cambridge Festival activities, and put up pop-up labs and hands-on science tents to complement public discovery days and outreach events.
Takes science directly into the community through large-scale public engagement events. cambridge-biomedical.com
4.
Open research facilities
meet the science stars: diamond Light Source
At Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, the UK’s national synchrotron facility accelerates electrons to near light speeds until they emit beams of light 10 billion times brighter than the sun. Check out the particle accelerator, book yourself onto a lab tour, and meet the engineers and researchers. Next open day? 24 October 2026.
Rare public access to one of the UK’s most advanced scientific facilities. diamond.ac.uk
5.
Digital communication
access science anywhere: Big Manny & mark rober
STEM on social media and YouTube, including experiment demos and accessible explanations of scientific concepts.
Mark and Manny bring science to millions of young people where they already spend their time, extending engagement beyond physical science centres.
Let's talk – TracyDSouza@hoarelea.com
AstraZeneca Discovery Centre, Cambridge. Photo courtesy of AstraZeneca
Hoare Lea is...
Thinking about.
High-street heads up.
Specialist walk-in centres are to open in banks and libraries across England, for those needing immediate mental health care close to home. The UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has set out plans for a network of almost 200 community mental health centres and mental health A&Es by 2029, with the aim of giving those in crisis or significant distress somewhere to go to get help when they need it.
Let's talk – AndyVernon@hoarelea.com
Talking about.
Resident realities.
We’ve been working on Centrepoint, capturing feedback from the facilities team and existing residents on a London stepping-stone accommodation scheme that improves on previous builds through a specification that works for them. With 18 studio apartments designed for low-energy bills and construction costs, the project had unique challenges. These included an extensive landscaped external space and roof-mounted photovoltaic panels; plus we condensed the plant into a NILAN EAHP for each unit to accommodate their compact nature.
Let's talk – MatthewBarnes@hoarelea.com
Caring about.
Clean water in Abenta.
After coming second in the 2025 Plumbing Centre of Excellence Young Engineers Competition, through the Society of Public Health Engineers our very own Harry Robbiati has been volunteering with Village by Village in Ghana. Working on community infrastructure projects, he helped to install pipework for a school handwashing station, construct drainage and soakaway systems, support concrete floor works for a new school building, and deliver improved sanitation facilities. Great to see how practical engineering solutions can directly improve health, hygiene and educational outcomes.
Let's talk – HarryRobbiati@hoarelea.com
Conversation kickstarter.
“The speed is unprecedented, and the scale, which is why they have to take engagement really seriously. [It] needs to be brought in right at the beginning, and should continue right the way through the process. It should be an absolute priority because if it’s an afterthought, that risk will cost you money.”
Our Head of Societal Insights Carl Walker in Computer Weekly. It called our commitment to community engagement “progressive” in its recent article ‘The Great Datacentre Backlash’.
Catch up.
Electric chat.
Electricity will be at the heart of modern buildings. At Powered On Live, our Utility and Energy Infrastructure Director, Laurence Johnson, explored how we can capitalise on energy markets, unlock new value, and overcome critical grid and capacity constraints.
To build self-sufficiency, creativity and resilience, it’s important to marry up power generation, industry demand and community opportunity. Private wire networks developed with local communities, councils and businesses are good for economic growth too. It’s about asking the right questions. Want to get a project approved? Consider the four Cs: cost, carbon, capacity and community.
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