Number One Kirkstall Forge in Leeds was last night named among the best workplaces in the country at the British Council for Offices (BCO) annual National Awards, taking home the ‘Commercial Workplace’ award.
The BCO’s respected National Awards programme recognises top quality office design and functionality, setting the standard for excellence across the office sector in the UK. The awards dinner attracted over 1,200 key players from the office sector to celebrate the best-in-class talent. Winners from the 2018 Regional Awards programme attended the event at London’s Grosvenor House, hoping to take home the National Award for their category.
Number One Kirkstall Forge is the first commercial building within Kirkstall Forge, the regeneration of one of the UK’s oldest continually industrialised sites, which will ultimately be transformed into a mixed-used community with a potential for up to 1,000 homes and a total of 300,000 sq. ft. of office space and supporting amenities.
The judges praised Number One Kirkstall Forge for delivering a truly unique workplace environment, which sets a high standard of contemporary workplace design. They also noted the developer CEG’s efforts to engage with the wider community at all levels, and to re-immerse the site, culturally and socially, back into the local community.
Nigel Clark, Chair of the BCO’s National Judging Panel, commented: “Number One Kirkstall Forge is one of the largest and most inspiring regeneration projects in the north of England, so there were high expectations to be met with its first commercial building. The organisations and individuals involved in the project have worked tirelessly to meet and exceed these expectations. Number One Kirkstall Forge elegantly intertwines place making, industrial heritage, sustainability, cultural values and quality – while keeping the workplace at the core.”
Phil Doyle, Chair of the BCO Northern Committee commented: “Kirkstall Forge is an ambitious scheme that provides city-centre quality, grade A commercial workspace in a suburban location. The developer CEG has created a contemporary workplace with excellent transportation links, subtly re-interpreting the sites natural setting and has set the tone for the remaining commercial phases of this mixed-used development. This outstanding scheme demonstrates the breadth of inspiring workspaces we have in the Northern Committee region.”
For more information about the awards and the winners this year visit the BCO website. Entries for 2019’s BCO Regional and National Awards programme open on 3rd October.
