Architecture firm signs up to landmark Sheffield office building

Architecture and design practice BDP has taken 8,178 sq ft of office space at 3 St Paul’s Place in Sheffield city centre, the first speculative office building to be developed in the city since the recession.

3 St Paul’s Place, developed by CTP and U+I and built by Bowmer & Kirkland, is the final part of the pioneering £130m Heart of the City project.

BDP is taking the whole of the sixth floor at 3 St Paul’s Place on a 10-year-lease. The rent is £23.50 per sq ft, a record high for Sheffield.

David Topham, director of Manchester-based developers CTP, said: “BDP’s decision to relocate to 3 St Paul’s Place is a pleasing endorsement of our development. It is also extremely encouraging that a company with BDP’s reputation for quality, innovation and excellence has chosen our building as their base in Sheffield.

“They join global civil engineers Arup and leading Swedish bank Handelsbanken at 3 St Paul’s Place, two other companies with superb reputations. We are very proud of our occupiers.
“Our decision to develop a speculative Grade A office building in Sheffield in the midst of the recession has been vindicated and we are very proud of the quality of the office space we have created. There is now strong interest in the remainder of the building and we look forward to announcing new tenants shortly.

“These are exciting times for St Paul’s Place, which is now an established high-quality, low-occupation cost office location in the heart of Sheffield. It is the greenest, most energy-efficient and most modern office building in the city, with a BREEAM excellent rating, and it marks the revival of confidence in Sheffield city centre,” said Topham.

BDP has relocated its 70-strong team from 1 North Bank in the city, where it has been based for the past 10 years.

Head of BDP’s Sheffield studio, Andrew Smith, said: “It was an easy decision for us to make the move to 3 St Paul’s Place as it’s a great space with well proportioned, column-free floor plates providing very good daylight and views.

“It’s also in a brilliant location in the very heart of the city, benefiting from the full range of Sheffield’s amenities and the city council’s investment in high quality public realm, particularly the area around the Peace Gardens, as well as the important route from the train station via Howard Street.”

The construction of 3 St Paul’s Place went ahead following a landmark agreement between CTP and U+I the specialist regeneration developer and investor,with Sheffield City Council and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The 10-storey 3 St Paul’s Place comprises 76,000 sq ft of office space with each 8,000 sq ft floor offering offices suites from 2,000 sq ft.