At the annual British Council for Offices (BCO) National Awards ceremony AHMM received two awards; the Commercial Workplace award for One Portwall Square and the Test of Time award for White Collar Factory.
White Collar Factory is the product of an eight-year research project led by AHMM and Derwent London, and comprises a complex of six buildings at Old Street Yard including offices, studios, incubator space, restaurants and apartments set around a new piece of public realm, with a sixteen-storey tower at its heart. Together, these buildings provide a bold new marker for Old Street as well as creating a new more permeable section of the city that references the alleys and passageways of the historic urban grain. Featuring long spans, flexible floor plates, openable windows, generous volumes and robust construction, the tower represents a new type of office building that takes its cue from the multi-level factory typology and uses concrete in several ways.
The originality and scale of the project had a positive impact on the neighbourhood and created a new community by attracting a mix of tenants from tech, creative, advertising, engineering and banking sectors. The new building also promotes a healthy lifestyle thanks to its 277 cycle spaces alongside show facilities and lockers, its open staircases adjacent to lift lobbies to encourage people to use them and the 150-metre rooftop running track, the highest in Europe.
The Test of Time Award revisits previous recipients of BCO National Awards, White Collar Factory having won the Innovation Award in 2018.
One Portwall Square is a new-build office for independent developer Nord on a site close to Bristol Temple Meads railway station. The site was originally part of 100 Temple Street, a large office with a raised squash court and parking below, designed by John Wells-Thorpe. The scheme replaces a disused building with a six-storey freestanding office, set back from Portwall Lane to create a lively pocket square at ground floor level. In response to the latest Grade A office standards, Covid-19 pandemic and the need to maximise occupant comfort and amenity for staff attraction and retention, the building delivers new levels of innovation, sustainability and office design, combining modern and flexible floorplates with generous light and space.
One Portwall Square lifts the spirits for a range of users. For occupiers, its adaptable floorplates and amenity-rich offering enhances the office experience. For visitors, its calm entrance and reception offer a special welcome. For cyclists, its dedicated cycle entrance and best in class shower, changing and storage facilities recognise the need to support active travel to the workplace. For passers-by, the bold use of colour, integration of artwork and creation of a seated ares within new public realm gives something back to the local community. For its neighbours, the building responds strongly to the depth and design of the imposing yet characterful 100 Temple Street, adding to the streetscape.
