The refurbishment of 740 Waterside Drive, Aztec West, Bristol, owned by Legal and General Property, is the first to be certificated under the BREEAM UK Refurbishment and Fit-Out scheme and has achieved a ‘Very Good’ at design stage. 

​Stride Treglown were Architects, Interior designers, Landscape Architects and Planners for the project, working with JLL, Hoare Lea and Clarke Bond. Construction work has recently been completed by Midas Construction.

The 51,000 sq.ft building has undergone a total rejuvenation and refurbishment, with an upgraded and extended reception providing a clear arrival for the building and a welcoming entrance. The office space has been transformed by adding full height glazed bays and lowering window cills by 375mm–creating a much more open feel and allowing more natural light in. The main stair and toilet cores have been totally redesigned to provide better circulation and accommodation. 

​Landscaping around the site has been improved, taking full advantage of the water side setting. 

Improvements to the building fabric, including replacement windows and improved air tightness, together with complete replacement of mechanical and electrical systems and installation of PV panels, has improved its EPC rating to ‘A’, exceptionally high for a refurbished building.

Debbie Hobbs, Head of Sustainability at Legal & General Property, said: 

“Constantly looking to push boundaries on what we can achieve in the sustainability arena, we believe that improving existing assets, where we have the opportunity to do so, is pivotal to reducing the impact that the built environment has on our fragile eco-system. This can only be achieved by working with forward thinking third parties who demonstrate skills and understanding in this area.”

The project moved quickly from design to construction, prompted by significant market interests from tenants. Planning was fast-tracked to submission within 6 weeks of instruction, allowing for the building to be stripped in this time and works to begin when planning was granted. Two floors were let prior to completion. 

Tristan Rhodes, lead architect on the project, commented:
“Legal & General challenged Stride Treglown as the Lead Designers to prioritise sound sustainable decision making within their brief.
The challenge when adapting and reusing existing buildings is to understand the opportunities that each building presents and work with the existing form and fabric to minimise energy use, as well as designing inclusive and adaptive space to meet the current and future demands of tenants. With this project we have been able to demonstrate that tired looking 1980’s buildings can be rejuvenated to provide office space that meets current standards for quality and sustainability, and at a much lower cost than total redevelopment. We are really pleased with the way this project has turned out.