BCO celebrates Angel Square and Fabrica

THE Co-operative Group’s new headquarters One Angel Square has been named the North’s best corporate workplace in the British Council of Offices’ annual northern awards.

Staff have just moved into the building which features a number of innovations designed to minimise its environmental impact, such as a double skin facade which keeps the building warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The Manchester division of 3DReid designed the building.

It was acquired by RREEF Real Estate, the property arm of Deutsche Bank’s asset and wealth management division, and an unnamed “foreign institutional investor” for £142m in February. Angle Square was a joint winner with Wakefield One in Wakefield.

Fabrica, Manchester’s only speculative office scheme completed last year, was named the best commercial workplace. Galliford Try constructed Fabrica for Royal London Asset Management. It was designed by Manchester-based 5plus Architects which has now had four BCO wins in five years.

It has 20,000 sq ft of office space and a 150-bed hotel across two buildings on the corner of Pollard Street and Great Ancoats Street. Both winners of will now go through to the national final in London in October.

Judging chairman, Tony Hordon, director of business space at real estate adviser DTZ, said: “This year’s nominations for the Northern Awards represent the increasingly innovative and creative approach being taken to develop workplaces that stand out and have an exciting identity. They are testament to all those working in the commercial property sector who are committed to enhancing the built environment.”