AshbyCapital, the private equity real estate firm, and its co-investor and development partner, Native Land, have agreed to pre-let the entirety of Kova KX, their new 70,000 sq ft life science development in London’s King’s Cross.
On completion in 2027, the building will become the new headquarters of the self-funded medical research organisation, LifeArc.
The deal is the largest life sciences letting in the UK in 2025, and the largest in London since 2022.
Kova KX is the major refurbishment and repositioning of 105 Judd Street in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter, the focal point for a science, technology and education cluster around King’s Cross. LifeArc is dedicated to collaborating to find new tests and treatments for rare diseases and global infectious diseases, as well as offering scientific expertise to partners and investing in a range of start-up companies through its venture capital arm, LifeArc Ventures.
LifeArc will increase its presence in a neighbourhood that is already home to some of the world’s most important knowledge-led institutions and businesses, including the Francis Crick Institute, The Wellcome Trust, University College London, British Library, Alan Turing Institute, Google, AstraZeneca UK, and the British Medical Association.
Designed by Stiff + Trevillion Architects, Kova KX reimagines a characterful Edwardian office building that was most recently used as the headquarters of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). Around 75% of the existing five-storey structure has been retained and restored, with a two-storey extension increasing the total floor area from 57,000 sq ft to 70,000 sq ft.
The highly sustainable refurbishment of Kova KX has been designed to outperform RIBA and LETI 2030 goals for embodied carbon, with target emissions of 250-300kg CO2E/sq m. The building will be net-zero carbon in operation with all-electric services and is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating.
The building’s top three floors will offer green spaces and outdoor terraces, while the lower ground will house health club-style showers and changing facilities, as well as 140 cycle parking spaces. The ground-floor reception area will accommodate a collaborative events space.
LifeArc currently has offices in Tavistock Square and scientific research facilities in Stevenage and Edinburgh, as well as a specialist science team working at the nearby Francis Crick Institute in London. LifeArc expects to move into Kova KX in the first half of 2027.
Sam Barrell, CEO, and Stéphane Maikovsky, Deputy CEO and CFO, at LifeArc, said:
“The move to 105 Judd Street is an important milestone for LifeArc, enabling us to bring many of our expert staff and scientists together in a single building for the first time and improving our ability to turn promising scientific breakthroughs into new tests, treatments and cures for people living with a rare disease and global health infections. Kova KX is a high-quality building in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter specially designed to meet LifeArc’s needs. It offers us the flexibility to continue to grow and adapt, and will enhance our ability to work with partners to accelerate promising research and innovation for people around the world living with challenging conditions.”
“The opportunity for life sciences real estate has been much talked about but this deal highlights that there is real demand for high-quality space in the right location. As one of the first buildings in the city to be repurposed to cater specifically to life sciences tenants, this letting is a strong vote of confidence in the sector and an example of the refurbishment of buildings and re-use of existing structures.
As well as providing exceptional facilities within London’s growing Knowledge Quarter, Kova KX will also be highly sustainable. By refurbishing rather than building from scratch, we’re saving 512kg/m2 of embodied carbon, as well as delivering significant biophilia enhancements including a green roof, landscaped terracing and a wildflower pocket park.”
We look forward to welcoming LifeArc to the building in 2027.
Alasdair Nicholls, Chief Executive at Native Land, added:
“Kova KX breaks new ground for sustainable, Grade A lab and office space in a repurposed heritage building. Native Land is proud to have identified the potential of this opportunity within the Knowledge Quarter, and attracted an investment partner to jointly realise a project of such quality. Beyond this, the asset’s inherent strengths of a prime location, heritage value, intelligent specification and best-in-class amenities have all combined to create the success of Kova KX.
“We have worked hard to ensure that our building at 105 Judd Street has become structurally and spatially ideal for transformation into the urban life science facility which has brought LifeArc to Kova KX. With our partners AshbyCapital, Native Land has demonstrated that heritage buildings should and can be creatively repurposed to cater to the most exacting and demanding of property occupiers.”
Designed to fully cater for Containment Level 2 wet laboratory requirements, Kova KX addresses the robust demand for labs in London, where 35% of the city’s under-construction development pipeline is already under offer or pre-let. The short-to-medium-term demand tracked by Cushman & Wakefield currently outstrips the remainder of that pipeline by 140%.
London is ranked the world’s most innovative city by Knight Frank’s Innovation Index and boasts four universities in the top 50 globally for Life Sciences (UCL, Imperial, King’s College and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), with this talent pool further boosting demand for space in this highly competitive industry.
Cushman & Wakefield and Knight Frank are the appointed leasing agents on Kova KX; Savills represented LifeArc. The scheme is being built out by main contractor McLaughlin & Harvey.