Five office projects across the Midlands and Central region have been recognised in an annual awards scheme.
Trade body British Council for Offices hosted its 2022 event in Birmingham city centre today to celebrate achievement across a variety of fit-out and new-build projects.
The winners were:
Commercial Workplace - Three Snowhill, Birmingham (above)
Three Snowhill is a grade A development which has completed the Snowhill Estate and provides a home for the West Midlands regional hub of telecoms firm BT. Said to be the largest ever speculative city centre office scheme built outside London, judges commended it for delivering "an exceptional working environment" with an exemplary range of facilities.
Fit Out of Workplace - PwC, One Chamberlain Square, Birmingham
One Chamberlain Square on Birmingham's £700 million Paradise development is home to financial services giant PwC. The fit out project took the blank canvas of a grade A office space to create what the firm calls its new "work-home", a distinctive yet highly functional workplace. Judges felt the sense of hospitality was evident at both occupier and visitor level.
Projects up to 1,500m2 - St Peter's Gate, Nottingham
The grade II St Peter's Gate in Nottingham city centre underwent a substantial internal refit, overseen by CPMG Architects. A former Standard Chartered bank, the work has enabled the practice to bring its team together in a single HQ. Judges said the design took advantage of the loftiness of the three-storey structure.
Corporate Workplace - Joules head office, The Barn, Market Harborough
The new 60,000 sq ft UK headquarters of Joules in Market Harborough saw barns repurposed to enable the clothing and household goods retailer to bring five separate offices together. BCO judges praised the scheme for amplifying the site's distinctive heritage and optimising the site's semi-rural setting.
Refurbished/Recycled Workspace - The Dock, Kings Langley
The Dock in Kings Langley near Watford is a striking and contemporary refurbishment by Alchemy Asset Management and Tristan Capital Partners of a vacant office block. The "deceptively simple" refurbishment maximised the available space within and transformed a sterile atrium into a warm and welcoming space, said judges.
These five projects will compete against other regional winners at the BCO National Awards in October.
Lee Jones, partner at construction consultancy Quantem and judging panel chairman, said: "This year's entrants not only showcase the very best of our sector, they also continue to redefine what best practice looks like.
"We have seen a number of exceptional working environments nominated for the BCO Midlands and Central awards which clearly demonstrate the continued importance of the office.
"The pandemic has accelerated positive existing trends towards flexible and collaborative workplaces that facilitate agile working and cater for the varied needs of the workforce.
"It is also inspiring to see the growth of sustainable and energy efficient projects which are maintaining the focus on the health and wellbeing of occupants."
