BCO celebrates South of England and South Wales’s best workplaces

2 May 2025

The South of England’s and South Wales’s most outstanding workplaces have been announced, with British Council for Offices Awards going to seven exceptional office buildings across the region – including three in Bristol.

Held at We The Curious in Bristol, the BCO’s annual South of England and South Wales Awards Dinner celebrated the high-calibre of the region’s offices in terms of design, fit-out and sustainability, setting the standard for excellence across the sector. The winners of this year’s competition stand out for their occupier-centric approach, reflecting the growing importance of inclusivity, wellbeing, and ESG performance.

The BCO Regional Award winners for the South of England and South Wales are:

• spark|sbarc, Maindy Road, Cardiff (Corporate Workplace)
• ONE Station Hill, Garrard St, Reading (Commercial Workplace)
• Dojo Bristol, 111 Victoria St, Bristol (Fit Out of Workplace)
• Englefield Estate Yard, The Street, Reading (Projects up to 2,500m²)
• BLOK, One Castle Park, Bristol (Refurbished/Recycled Workplace)
• Assembly C, Cheese Lane, Bristol (Innovation)
• Nomad Foods, 43 Church Street, West Woking (ESG)

Highly commended workplaces were:

• Inventa, Botley Road, Oxford (Refurbished/Recycled Workplace)

Cardiff University’s groundbreaking spark|sbarc building was crowned Best Corporate Workplace. The building sets a new standard for academic and enterprise collaboration, with its state-of-the-art amenities, public event spaces, and seamless integration of social science research and enterprise. Its visually striking and functional centrepiece is an ocular staircase which spirals upward through the seven-storey space, encouraging movement and interaction. Flexible workspaces, labs, and exhibition areas create an inspiring environment for students, academics, entrepreneurs and the wider community.

A landmark in Reading’s regeneration, ONE Station Hill received the award for Best Commercial Workplace. Part of an £850 million masterplan to revitalise the area, the building delivers 275,000 sq ft of Grade A workspace that exemplifies sustainable office design – net zero carbon, all-electric, and BREEAM Outstanding. With amenities including a fitness club, rooftop terraces, and smart tech integration via its dedicated app, ONE Station Hill successfully promotes productivity and wellness. More than 40% of the development has been pre-let over to global firms such as PepsiCo and PwC.

Winning the award for Best Fit out Workplace, Dojo’s 54,770 sq ft Bristol HQ sets a new benchmark for contact centre design. With 402 desk spaces, flexible areas, and a lively social hub with a barista bar, the office supports both productivity and wellbeing. Rich in local character, with graffiti art by Bristol-based artists, the fit-out blends biophilia with residential-inspired furnishings. Dojo’s inclusive design features multi-faith and wellness rooms, while sustainability is prioritised through the use of recycled materials, smart lighting systems and minimal alterations to the base build.

Englefield Estate Yard, Reading won Best Project up to 2,500m². This pioneering project has transformed an historic, Grade II listed sawmill into a modern, energy-efficient office supporting local suppliers. Combining natural materials and renewable energy systems, the project achieved an energy performance rating upgrade from G to A. Biophilic features, generous daylight access, and wildlife-supportive measures promote wellbeing and biodiversity. The judges applauded the building’s balance of heritage conservation, community revitalisation and cutting-edge sustainability.

BLOK Bristol was the recipient of the award for Best Refurbished/Recycled Workplace. BCO judges were impressed with how the project successfully breathed new life into One Castle Park, repurposing the existing 1980s structure while prioritising sustainability through carbon-conscious upgrades. A ground floor communal business lounge, bustling coffee shop and landscaped gardens create an engaging social atmosphere. Adaptable floorplans and diverse leasing options cater to modern tenants, making BLOK a model for urban development.

Also located in Bristol, Assembly C took home the Innovation award. A striking addition to the city’s waterfront, the project converted a vacant brownfield site into a vibrant, sustainable commercial space. The development blends strong architectural expression with environmental credentials, including BREEAM Excellent, EPC A, and WiredScore Platinum. The building’s use of off-site prefabrication, self-finished materials and connection to Bristol’s heat network underscores its sustainability-first ethos, while its amphitheatre seating and new public realm reflect a commitment to community engagement.

Lastly, the ESG award went to Nomad Foods’ European HQ  in West Woking for placing sustainability and employee wellbeing at its very core. Achieving SKA Gold and building on BREEAM Excellent credentials, the project reused materials, integrated real-time energy monitoring, and prioritised low-impact, healthy interior finishes. What set it apart was its emphasis on engagement with staff during design, resulting in a vibrant, flexible workspace that supports wellbeing, inclusivity, and hybrid working. Biophilic features, ergonomic furnishings, and dedicated zones for quiet work and collaboration make this a standout ESG project.

Harry Allen, Director, Bristol at Savills and Judging Chair for the BCO South of England and South Wales said: “This year’s entries reflect the very best of a changing office landscape, where wellbeing, sustainability and flexibility are fundamental to workplace design. The calibre of projects we reviewed shows that the South of England and South Wales are leading the way in creating people-centric environments that are as innovative as they are inclusive. The judges were particularly impressed by the creativity and technical excellence demonstrated across the region.”

John Wright, Chair of the BCO Committee for South of England and South Wales, said: “It is no surprise to see a high proportion of the excellent entries this year are refurbished buildings and fitouts of some of last year’s new build entries, as the South of England and South Wales region reflects national viability challenges.

“These projects challenge design teams to be creative in reinventing buildings, and to deliver spaces that support the variety of work settings and social spaces required in a modern workplace, and they offer opportunities to produce highly sustainable buildings. Offices continue to play a vital role in any vibrant town or city, and the winning projects are splendid examples of how creative and intelligent design can contribute to thriving communities.”

South of England and South Wales award winners will compete for the BCO National Awards on Tuesday 7 October 2025 at the Grosvenor House, JW Marriott Hotel, London.

The lead sponsor for this year’s BCO Awards is AET Flexible Space. Gold sponsors are AECOM, Glamox and Troup Bywaters + Anders. The BCO awards are in association with Estates Gazette.

ENDS

About the BCO

The British Council for Offices’ (BCO) mission is to research, develop and communicate best practice in all aspects of the office sector. It delivers this by providing a forum for the discussion and debate of relevant issues.

Established in 1990, the BCO is the UK’s leading forum for the discussion and debate of issues affecting the office sector.

Its members are all organisations involved in creating, acquiring, or occupying office space, whether architects, lawyers, surveyors, financial institutions, or public agencies. The BCO works to advance the collective understanding of its members, enabling them to work together to create more effective office space.

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