Commercial, Corporate and Fit-Out of Workplace Awards
Commercial Workplace Award: Central 40, Chineham Park, Basingstoke
Corporate Workplace Award: Penallta House, Hengoed, Caerphilly
Fit-out of Workplace Award: Microsoft Building 5, Thames Valley Business Park, Reading
Hoare Lea acted as environmental, mechanical and electrical engineers on three of the four award-winning projects announced at the BCO Awards 2009, South West and South Wales Region.
Central 40, Chineham Park, Basingstoke, was awarded the Commercial Workplace Award; Penallta House, Hengoed, Caerphilly, received the Corporate Workplace Award; and Microsoft Building 5, Thames Valley Business Park, Reading, won the Fit-out of Workplace Award.*
Despite the economic downturn, a record number of entries were received this year. The judges noted the high quality of entries from across the region, and hailed the winners as being buildings which embrace sustainable practices 'as standard', alongside delivering an exceptionally high occupier experience.
All eyes are now on 6 October when, for the first time, all winners from the Regional Awards will go on to compete at a national level, in a bid to win the 'Best of the Best' award.
Patrick Morrisey, BCO Judging Chair for the South West and South Wales, said: "Our four winners are uniquely different buildings, but as a collective they embody the emergence of two particularly important patterns in best practice building design and development. Firstly, they illustrate that sustainability is now firmly embedded at the core of the vast majority of building briefs. For example, Penallta House in Caerphilly, Wales, and the VOSA building in Bristol are two very different projects, but in both cases sustainability was an absolute central theme. This is evidence of the fact that environmentally friendly properties are now well established in almost all property sectors and geographies in the UK, which is hugely encouraging.
Secondly, the winners have all demonstrated how the design and finished building can have a great and beneficial impact on the end user occupier experience. For example, the Microsoft Building in Thames Valley Business Park, Reading, is an excellent example of providing a catalyst for organisational and cultural change, through creating new spaces which deliver improved flexibility and staff collaboration."
Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the BCO, commented: "This is a landmark year for the BCO awards, and we are delighted that the South West and South Wales awards have set such an early standard for top quality design and functionality. The BCO awards exist to provide a benchmark for excellence in workplaces, and today's winners show that output is as strong as ever.
For a full list of winners go to http://www.bco.org.uk/winners/2009
Text reproduced by kind permission of the BCO. For further information please contact http://www.bco.org.uk
*The winner of the remaining category: Project up to 2,000m2 was awarded to: VOSA Test Station Office, Bristol. (Hoare Lea was not involved in this project.)
