Radical Retrofit office building design, Southwest England property redesign architecture images
Radical Retrofit Office Building in Bristol
21 January 2025
Design: Sheppard Robson
Location: Bristol, England, UK
Images: NJY studio and Google Maps
Radical Retrofit Office Building, southwest England
The design transforms the building’s wellness and sustainability credentials as well as its relationship to the surrounding city.
For client Ardstone Capital, and on behalf of the Ardstone Regional Office Fund, a joint venture between Ardstone Capital and CBRE IM, the proposal to rethink a prominent office building near Bristol Temple Meads Train Station, has been granted planning permission. The design retains 88% of the existing structure, while drastically improving its sustainability and wellness credentials, targeting BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS 5 Star, and WELL Platinum.
image: NJY studio
The design for the Radical Retrofit Office Building proposes infilling the irregular shaped floorplates to create free flowing office space. Extensions to the north form a two-story colonnade at ground floor, framing the new double-height reception, which has been repositioned to reorient the building towards Temple Quarter and animates the streetscape.
The internal workings of the existing development, constructed in 2002, have been rationalised around a new central core, which – with the reconfigured floorplates – creates ultra-flexible and subdivisible workspaces for tenants.
image: NJY studio
The extent of radical interventions can also be seen at the roof level. The existing plant enclosures and upper floor slab will be removed, and three new lightweight storeys will be constructed. The sinuous banding of the building steps back at levels five and six to create private terraces that wrap around the building to the north, west and south. Rising to the top of the building, the green spaces become larger through extensive private and communal terrace gardens with panoramic views across Bristol.
The calmness of green spaces integrated within the building can also be felt at street level, where a revitalised public space redefines the urban setting. The landscaping wraps around the north and west sides of the site, promoting meandering routes through biodiverse planting, whilst mediating the change of levels and creating indiscriminate access for all. The building’s extensive reception, which includes flexible work settings, will create active frontage that spills out into the new public realm.
The architectural language of the exterior signals the wholesale transformation of the building, utilising data-driven design to create a high-performance facade. The distinctive red, textured cladding is a subtle nod to Bristol Byzantine Revival and warehouse architecture. The banding of the facades wraps the building to unify new and old, with each elevation tuned to its solar orientation using vertical and horizontal shading. Beyond the 88% retention of structure, the design looks for further savings in embodied carbon through efficient use of material in the façade, balanced with longevity and a palette that complements its surroundings.
Existing building – image: Google Maps
The sustainability strategy for the project optimises the building’s performance and use of resources. Operational carbon is minimised through a fabric-first approach, which includes solar shading and encouraging natural ventilation. Energy is supplied through a district heating network, with photovoltaics contributing to around 30-40% of the building’s electricity use depending on how its operated and occupied.
Internally the existing extensive car park provision has been significantly reduced to make way for best-in-class end of trip facilities, comprising cycle store, showers and changing facilities, and studio space benefitting all tenants.
Wellness is imbued throughout, which is notable on the upper floors where generous amounts of natural light penetrate the floorplates. This is further enhanced by the central atrium, accessible directly from the central core via link bridges, where new prominent staircases promote use.
Mark Kowal, partner at Sheppard Robson, said:
“The project illustrates an ongoing paradigm for the retention of late 20th-century buildings that would, until recently, have faced pressure for demolition. Our design reimagines this outmoded building into a workplace that is aligned with the requirements of modern tenants and their sustainability aspirations.
“The transformative nature of the project is balanced with resourcefulness. We have retained as much as we possibly can whilst using bold architectural ideas to signal the arrival of a major new development and public spaces for Bristol.”
Radical Retrofit Office Building in Bristol, England – Building Information
Client: Ardstone Capital
Architect: Sheppard Robson – https://www.sheppardrobson.com/
Project Manager: Trident
Quantity Surveyor: Quantem
Structural Engineer: Cundall
MEP Engineer: Cundall
Sustainability Engineer: Cundall
Planning consultant: Sycha Development Planning Ltd
Landscape Architect: Townshend Landscape Architects
Façade Consultant: Buro Happold
Images: NJY studio and Google Maps
Radical Retrofit Office Building, Bristol, southwest England images / information received 210125
Location: Bristol, south west England, United Kingdom
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