The British Council for Offices (BCO) has named Keynsham’s Civic offices as the best workplace for 2015. The offices in Keynsham are very ECO-friendly and is one of the few buildings in the UK which has been designed to meet the DEC ‘A’ rated standard. Transition Bath would like all new offices in B&NES to meet the highest sustainability standards and these offices act as an exemplar. More information on the sustainability and architecture of the new building is available here.
Unfortunately many developers are only interesting in building offices to minimum standards and costs, and have no interest in the quality of the work environment once the development has been sold. Transition Bath continue to try to comment on planning applications for large developments in order to make them more sustainable.
To quote from the BCO website:
The judges singled out Keynsham Civic Centre & One Stop Shop in recognition of the building providing an environmentally sustainable, low maintenance and flexible workspace, whilst acting as a catalyst for the regeneration of the town. The judges felt the Civic Centre clearly served the local community with half of the building given over to public realm, as well as providing valuable retail space to stimulate the revival of the town’s High Street. As a workplace for the local council, the judges praised the building’s impressive use of natural light to create an ‘uplifting workspace’ as well as the design of the office floors which lend themselves toward flexibility and encourage collaborative working. The team behind the building were also commended for conducting a thorough and impressive stakeholder engagement process, from the inception of the project through to completion.
Peter Crowther, Property Director at Bruntwood Estates and BCO National Awards Chairman, commented: “This is an inspirational development that improves working practices and offers much to the local community in terms of its public facilities and its form within the urban landscape. Whereas the scale and formality of a number of civic buildings can often serve to drive away the people they are designed to accommodate, this development provides a clear, accessible and inviting beacon of civic pride. To achieve all of this whilst also delivering such a low carbon building is remarkable.”
Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the BCO, said: “The judges were unanimous in the opinion that the Keynsham Civic Centre & One Stop Shop is an excellent building that offers much to the local community. At a time where office space is in high demand, creating a dynamic workplace that delivers to both those using the space, and the community it forms part of, is more important than ever.
This year’s winners should all be congratulated on creating workplaces that can inspire the industry to raise the bar once again.”