Project News
WILLMOTT DIXON APPOINTED ON PRESTIGIOUS HALO OFFICE DEVELOPMENT IN BRISTOL Willmott Dixon has been appointed for the third time by award-winning property developer and urban regenerator Cubex to deliver another major landmark in Bristol city centre. After successfully completing the 95,000 square foot Aurora in 2018, the city’s first BREEAM outstanding office scheme which is located at Finzels Reach, followed by 194 ‘Build to Rent’ homes delivered adjacent to Aurora in 2019, Cubex has now given Willmott Dixon the green light on the £33m ‘Halo’, a cutting-edge office development opposite the first two schemes.
PLANS UNVEILED FOR MAJOR NEW INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AT RADWAY GREEN IN CREWE 40-acre former BAE site when developed will accommodate 803,000 sq. ft of new industrial warehouse space. St Francis Group, a leading UK-based property development and investment group and an expert in brownfield development and regeneration has announced that a planning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of a former BAE site at Radway Green in Crewe.
Working in conjunction with the current landowners, plans have been submitted for 803,000 sq. ft of new industrial warehouse space on the 40-acre site part of which has already been demolished and cleared. Working collaboratively with Tilstone Industrial Limited, the proposals will see the creation of a high-quality multiunit estate replacing the existing old, outdated stock as well as significant infrastructure improvements. The planning application will seek detailed consent for two units of 208,000 sq. ft and 143,000 sq. ft and outline consent for an additional 452,000 sq. ft. Infrastructure improvements will include work around the sites access off Radway Green Road. Units could be made available for occupation by the end of 2021. Joint sole letting agents are Gerald Eve, DTRE and Savills.
Halo is being built on the site of Avon Fire and Rescue’s former headquarters and like Aurora, is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating. Staggered over seven floors, it will provide 116,133 square foot of Grade A office space, with international legal firm Osborne Clarke already agreeing to take nearly two thirds of Halo in a pre-let deal earlier this year. With sustainability at the heart of its design, Halo will be connected to Bristol’s district heating network, which draws heat from a heat bore in the centre of the city. In addition, energy will be generated from descending lifts. The range of sustainability initiatives embedded in Halo will create one of the UK’s most energy efficient office buildings. Halo’s modern design also features a corkscrew-like staircase rising up through a glass atrium, with LED lighting, roof-top mounted photovoltaic panels and even a drone landing pad. With its focus on employee wellbeing, key features will include outdoor space on the rooftop, a bike park and glazed façade to maximise views and daylight. Peter Walford, Director at Cubex said, “We are delighted to be working with Willmott Dixon to deliver Halo. This is the fifth Grade A office building that we’ve developed in this area of Bristol and with each, we aim to raise the bar in terms of both design and innovation, an approach which has been rewarded by the quality of the tenants and investors we have been able to attract.” John Boughton, Deputy Managing Director at Willmott Dixon said, “We are looking forward to once again working with Cubex Land, providing much needed office space, regeneration and opportunity to Finzels Reach.
We are embracing the challenge of delivering one of the most sustainable office buildings in the UK.
30 Construction UK Magazine - August 2020