Cambridge’s new Grade A office development, has been crowned ‘Best Commercial Workplace’ at the British Council for Offices (BCO) Midlands and East Anglia Regional Property Awards 2016.
The accolade comes less than a year after developer, Brookgate, opened the doors of 22 Station Road to Cambridge’s business community, which saw the entire space at the scheme let within weeks of building completion.
Delivered by Wates Construction, 22 Station Road offers 64,800 ft of prime office provision and is located 250m from the city’s railway station. The building is a key component of the business district being delivered as part of CB1, a new city quarter around an upgraded Cambridge station.
Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the CB1 master plan will deliver a state-of-the-art transport interchange featuring the UK’s largest cycle park with 3,000 spaces, prestigious ‘grade A’ offices, premium residential, retail and hotel space and purpose-built student residence accommodation.
Reserved for a building initiated on a speculative basis for commercial letting, the award, sponsored by Jackson Coles, was presented to the team in recognition of the development’s flexibility, efficiency, architecture and subsequent commercial success.
Wates is currently on-site at Brookgate’s One the Square scheme, where the team recently held a ‘topping out’ ceremony to commemorate the progress that has been made since construction work began in February 2015. Completion of the development is scheduled for the end of the year.
Judging Chairman, Matt Viall of Turner & Townsend cost management said: “The entrants to this year’s BCO Regional Awards were judged on a variety of factors against some of the toughest competition in the industry. The emerging winners should be proud of their fully deserved titles – we wish them all the best at the National Awards in October.”
Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the British Council of Offices said that the regional entrants to this year’s awards have truly set the bar for future projects across the country. 22 Station Road is a brilliant example of how to work within the constrictions of a tight city centre site in a notoriously challenging planning environment, transforming what was once an uninspiring station approach into a magnificent boulevard.
Sven Töpel, Chief Executive of Brookgate, said: “It is fantastic to receive this accolade from the BCO and is testament to the quality of space that is being delivered. The commercial offering at CB1 is meeting the workspace requirements of world-class firms and helping Cambridge to strengthen its competitive status as a key UK business and innovation hub.”
The BCO Awards, established in 1992, in association with Estates Gazette and this year sponsored again by ISG, seek to provide public recognition and a benchmark for excellence in workplaces. The winners of the Regional Awards will compete in their categories at national level on Tuesday 4 October at Grosvenor House in London.