Situated in the centre of Bristol, One Cathedral Square was constructed in the 1980s and had been unoccupied for two years. Our client, Castleforge Partners, a leading UK-based private real estate investor acquired Cathedral Square and appointed TFT as Project Managers for a 5,295 sqm CAT A office redevelopment.

The CAT A office redevelopment included reconfiguring the interior of the building by infilling and remodelling to maximise the net lettable area and achieving a Grade A office scheme. There was also new M&E installations, new lifts and an enlarged vertical service routes installed to accommodate the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) strategy which was configured without impacting on the Net Internal Area (NIA).

Furthermore, a full height living wall feature was installed in the central atrium, which was integrated with the irrigation system. Like the Eden Project, this feature wall was one of the largest of its kind in South-West England.

Like any project, there are always challenges and due to the Cathedral Square being located in a conservation area which was adjacent to Bristol Cathedral, noise and planning was a significant issue. However, the improvements made on this project were impressive. The energy performance of the building raised the EPC from an E to a B which was an excellent improvement and one of the highlights of the project.

Furthermore, the building has been entered for a BCO Regional Award in the refurbished/recycled workspace category. Anthony Maxwell Jones from Castleforge said: “TFT were a pleasure to work with throughout the Cathedral Square office refurbishment which has proven to be a great success landing two strong tenants shortly after practical completion. Technical Senior Director Pete Madge consistently delivered throughout, setting a good example for the rest of the team. I look forward to working on the next project together soon.”

Here at TFT, our in-house experts’ are able to navigate through any challenges and deliver beyond our clients expectations. Not only was our team able to deliver a high quality speculative office redevelopment but the client was also able to fully let the offices within two months of the Practical Completion and achieved a record rental level for a refurbished Grade A office space in the Bristol office market, making it a great achievement.