AECOM expands Istanbul science park role

AECOM has been appointed to project manage a crucial phase of a $2.2bn biomedical science park development in Turkey.

It will oversee the construction of a Gmur Architekten-designed children’s hospital, Rafael de La-Hoz’s science park and a 150-home residential development on phase 1a of  the Bio Istanbul scheme.

The news comes one year after group company Davis Langdon was appointed cost and programme manager on the project, which will be the first large-scale community in Turkey built to meet internationally-certified sustainability standards.

As well as project-managing the construction of the three phase 1a campuses, AECOM will support the client team in the development of the wider site infrastructure planning and delivery for the site, which expected to accommodate 15,000 residents and a further 20,000 working commuters when complete.

David Whitehouse, AECOM’s managing director for CIS and Turkey, said everyone at tthe firm was excited to see its role in the project expanded.

“Bio Istanbul has the potential to dramatically improve the level of medical care for the people of Turkey while also positioning Turkey to become the leading centre for pharmaceutical and advanced biomedical research for south eastern Europe and the Middle East,” he said.

Tobias Levey, chairman chief executive officer of Bio Istanbul,  said the development’s goal was to significantly expand Turkey’s knowledge-based economy and surpass the nation’s current private-development standards.

“We are relying on AECOM to ensure that our ambition for quality in construction is delivered on time and on budget,” he said.