‘Five Minutes With’ continues – our series spotlighting the people shaping Native Land’s developments, and the thinking that drives them.
This time, we speak with James King, Development Executive at Native Land, who has been closely involved in the delivery of KOVA KX – the company’s first lab-enabled, life sciences-led workspace.
Located in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter, KOVA KX is a landmark retrofit development that blends heritage architecture with cutting-edge design and sustainability. As the building progresses towards completion, James shares his perspective on the growth of the life sciences sector, the importance of adaptability in development, and what makes KOVA KX a standout addition to London’s life sciences landscape.
Read on for James’s insights into the evolution of this dynamic sector – and what excites him most about bringing KOVA KX to life.
- KOVA KX is Native Land’s first foray into developing a lab-enabled, life sciences-led workspace. You’ve worked on the development from the early stages; can you share what motivated Native Land to enter the life sciences sector?
The life sciences sector has been steadily growing in the London market over the past five years and has long been on Native Land’s radar. We’ve always been open to entering the market, but only with an opportunity that matches Native Land’s “prime in every sector” philosophy.
KOVA KX was a perfect fit: the right building in the right location to be a class-leading asset. After identifying the opportunity, we were able to team up with the right co-investment partner – which we found in Ashby Capital – to bring the scheme to life.
Located right in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, KOVA KX is surrounded by world-class research institutions and established lab spaces. Its proximity to King’s Cross and St Pancras stations makes it exceptionally well connected across London and to Oxford and Cambridge – which form an internationally significant cluster of life sciences capacity referred to as the Golden Triangle. The building’s strong existing structure made it a viable option for a retrofit-led development.
From the outset, KOVA KX was designed to be “lab ready” – a Grade A office building with the capacity designed into its structure and servicing to accommodate specialist laboratory infrastructure. The adaptability of the specification provided us with flexibility in our leasing strategy, as we could market the building to both office and life science occupiers. This made our business plan robust from both a capital and an occupational perspective. We decided to fully commit to life sciences as we received strong pre-let interest from multiple sector-leading occupiers.
- KOVA KX has been fully pre-let to LifeArc, a major life sciences organisation established by the UK Medical Research Council. What do you think this says about the demand for strategically positioned, high-quality life sciences workspace, and the appeal of KOVA KX specifically?
It’s a major milestone, especially given the current market conditions. The London and wider UK life sciences market is at a pivotal moment in its evolution, with recent signs of a recalibration after an extraordinary period of rapid growth. As the market adjusts to new economic and funding conditions, this phase should bring renewed clarity, competitiveness, and long-term support from UK Government policy makers. The UK remains robust and exceptionally well-positioned for continued future growth and investment in life sciences.
Against this backdrop, our 100% pre-let at KOVA KX is a strong vote of confidence in both the strength of our development and Native Land’s vision. I believe we achieved this success for three main reasons.
First, location. KOVA KX sits in one of the most strategically important life sciences clusters in London and the building is as prime as it gets, hence its success.
Second, the pre-let created the opportunity to tailor the base build to the needs and requirements of the occupier, LifeArc, working proactively with them to create a world-class bespoke headquarters.
And third, the heritage of the building. Originally constructed in the Edwardian era and once home to the Salvation Army, the building has a rich history. The existing façade boasts a historic architectural character that is unique among life science buildings, and the structure is exceptionally robust, with superb floor-to-ceiling heights. Building re-use can sometimes be criticised as creating compromises, but at KOVA KX we’ve been able to capture the very special characteristics that set our modernised historic building apart from anything else on the market.
- The development is a great example of adaptive reuse, transforming a heritage building into a net-zero target, lab-enabled workspace. What part of the design, specification and delivery are you most proud of so far?
We’re particularly proud to be retaining 75% of the existing structure, which aligns with our commitment to sustainable and responsible development. The ongoing debate around retrofit versus new build often centres on the balance between embodied and operational carbon. In many cases, new build schemes are favoured for efficiency and longevity, even at the cost of higher embodied carbon.
But in the case of KOVA KX, we’ve shown that it is possible to minimise both embodied and operational carbon, something which is rarely achieved, especially in the life science market. By retrofitting, we are saving over 500kg/m2 of embodied carbon while still targeting near net-zero carbon in operation. We’re also on track to achieve best-in-class sustainability credentials, including BREEAM Outstanding and EPC A ratings.
- Looking ahead to practical completion in 2027, what are you most excited to see come to life at KOVA KX?
I am most excited to see the completion of the shell and core. I look forward to seeing the scheme really come to life when the floor plates are in place and the structure starts to take shape, especially the rooftop terrace with its incredible views over King’s Cross.
- What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to get into property or development?
As someone still in the early stages of my career, my strongest piece of advice would be to gain as much experience and exposure to all sectors of the property market as possible. The opportunities presented by the industry are hugely varied, so learn what drives your interests and pursue those avenues as best you can.
