Major refurbishment for key part of city’s industrial heritage

Design and fit-out specialist, OVO Spaces, has revamped one of Sheffield’s most historic buildings.

Globe Works is a Grade II* listed property dating back to the birth of the Industrial Revolution.

It was built in 1825 for the tool manufacturers Ibbotson and Roebank and is believed to be the world’s first purpose built cutlery factory.

The building survived years of neglect to be converted into office space in the 1980s.

The OVO team were brought in by the site’s owner, Matthew Davison of Davison Property Investments, for a range of improvements, including previous upgrades to the main entrance, reception and more recently to redevelop the complete ground floor level.

OVO Spaces chief executive, David Baldwin, said: “We were basically given free rein to design and visualise how the space could work, with a video walk through presentation which has subsequently been used to market the property and attract new tenants.

“There is now capacity for five offices and an open plan layout with three private conference rooms and comfortable breakout area and other facilities including a kitchen and sports shower room.

“OVO Spaces is based in one of Sheffield’s best known historic buildings, the Terminal Warehouses in the Canal Basin, so we have experience of what is needed to make these historic properties fit for business purpose while satisfying the requirements of modern building regulations, listed building planning restrictions and all other statutory requirements.

“By taking the Globe Works space back to its shell, we were able to carry out a very sympathetic refurbishment, retaining the building’s natural beauty.”

Globe Works has now welcomed Simon Tillyer and his team from Vouch Online Ltd, a specialist tenant referencing company.

OVO Spaces is currently working on projects for a wide range of companies, providing concept to conclusion building transformations for customers in the commercial, industrial, hospitality and leisure sectors.

Recent clients include Unihomes, Ceratizit, Great Places, Shelter, New Era Developments and multiple projects completed in local landmarks at the Park Hill Commercial Units in Sheffield and on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham.

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