Work is set to begin on a huge £17m office redevelopment in Bristol.
Commercial property firm CEG have appointed Beard Construction to deliver the project in Aztec West business park in Almondsbury.
Plans for the new Aztec West 1000 office include a restaurant, a café with lakeside views, a gym, meeting rooms, co-working space, showers, roof terraces and 230 parking spaces.
CEG has said the idea for the building is to break away from the idea of the traditional nine to five and challenge tenants to “embrace every day as an opportunity to work and think differently”.
An additional floor will be added, taking the structure up from 38,000 sq ft to an 80,000 sq ft, three-storey building. The new design will also include a new external envelope. Once complete, the office will be able to house a 850 strong workforce.
Beard will start construction this month, with completion expected in summer 2023. The building has already been stripped back to the steel to prepare for development.
CEG has said Aztec West 1000 will be the first out-of-town HQ in the South West to operate with net zero carbon emissions.
Designed to meet BREEAM Excellent and EPC A standard, 1000 Aztec West will be powered by renewable energy, sourced through a Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) contract.
The building’s energy-reducing design will incorporate rooftop photovoltaic units, energy efficient heating and cooling and lighting systems.
The development will also deliver 40 electric vehicle charging points and a cycle block with showers to encourage sustainable travel.
Jimmy McWilliams, investment manager at CEG, said the redevelopment would deliver a “city centre specification” building in the business park.
Mr McWilliams said: “You cannot underestimate the role the workplace plays in attracting staff, driving performance and helping deliver corporate sustainability aspirations.
“Workspace is no longer a necessary cost burden but a strategic tool to support the delivery of business goals. It is this, and our confidence in the Bristol market and this great location on the city’s best business park, that has driven this investment into Aztec West.”
Matt Cooper, director for Beard in Bristol added: “While working with an existing structure brings challenges, there are significant benefits as well. By repurposing the existing frame at 1000 Aztec West we can save a huge amount of carbon, as the original building is not destroyed, and therefore the energy of the initial build is not wasted.
“As an experienced contractor in this type of project, we are proud to have been chosen to work with CEG on this first for the Bristol out-of-town office market.”
Property agents Carter Jonas, Cushman Wakefield and JLL have been appointed to market the new development, offering floor plates of up to 27,000 sq ft.
