A back-to-frame renovation project and a brand new office building in Birmingham city centre have both been crowned double winners at an annual property awards today.
10 Brindleyplace and One Centenary Way each won two awards at the British Council for Offices Midlands and Central Awards 2024, held at the ICC in Birmingham.
The annual awards recognise the best workplace projects in disciplines such as office design, fit out, operation and sustainability.
The new-look 10 Brindleyplace won the environmental, social and governance and refurbished/recycled workplace categories. The project, which was completed last summer, combined the previously separate 8 and 10 Brindleyplace addresses into a single complex.
The 20-year-old buildings now have more than 217,000 sq ft of modern office accommodation, including a co-working facility called 10X run by London-based Spacemade.
Email newsletters
BusinessLive is your home for business news from across the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry and Staffordshire.
Click through here to sign up for our email newsletter and also view the broad range of other bulletins we offer including weekly sector-specific updates.
We will also send out ‘Breaking News’ emails for any stories which must be seen right away.
For all the latest stories, views and polls, follow our BusinessLive West Midlands LinkedIn page here.
Judges praised the regeneration scheme for including multiple sustainable and smart features which resulted in several industry accreditations, a 65 per cent reduction in energy demand and a focus on health and wellbeing amenities such as roof terraces and a gym.
One Centenary Way, on the £1.2 billion Paradise estate in Chamberlain Square, became the third office building to complete when it opened last autumn.
The building has 280,000 sq ft of office and ground-floor leisure space across 13 storeys.
Crowned best commercial workplace, judges praised the ambition of the speculative scheme including its sustainability credentials which include a cycle hub with room for 450 bikes and which is open to the public, not just the building’s own tenants.
Built environment consultancy Arup not only worked on the project but is also one of its largest tenants after it relocated its 800-strong West Midlands team from Solihull at the end of last year.
10 Brindleyplace combined two separate buildings into a single address Arup’s new regional hub was named best fit out of a workplace, with the panel recognising the close collaboration between occupier and developer in redesigning the building’s gas fire boilers to incorporate air source heat provision and smart gateways.
Judges also praised Arup’s use of recycled materials, minimal energy usage in unoccupied areas and support for inclusivity through a series of flexible workspaces.
Completing this year’s Midlands and Central winners were the new Cambridgeshire HQ of technology consultancy TTP (corporate workplace) and Rare’s Xbox gaming development studio in Twycross, Leicestershire (projects up to 2,500m²).
The winners from this and other UK regions will go forward to the BCO National Awards in London on October 8.
Lee Jones, partner at construction consultancy Quantem and chairman of the judges, said: “The calibre of this year’s awards has pushed the boundaries of workplace design.
“The increasing focus on carbon reduction in use and during construction and a true emphasis on the health and wellbeing of all who use workplaces has been outstanding.”
Rob van Zyl, partner at engineering consultancy Cundall and BCO Midlands chairman, added: “These offices represent best practice in a post-pandemic world. Society has been forever changed and, with it, the workplace of the future is emerging.
“In this exciting year when we look forward to the BCO conference in the region, these outstanding projects demonstrate what can be achieved by creative and dedicated teams who are delivering exceptional offices for the Midlands and Central England.”
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.