News: Powell Williams delivers £15m facelift at Guildford Business Park for Cube Real Estate and Benson Elliot

The stunning upgrade of Building Two at Guildford Business Park is complete. The £15m remodel has seen the flagship building upgraded and extended to 82,000 sq.ft, and is now set to be launched to the market as an alternative location to central London.

We project managed the radical revamp on behalf of the park’s owner Benson Elliot, and asset manager, Cube Real Estate.

One of four iconic 1980’s office blocks overlooking the A31, the curved glass façade of Building Two was completely re-built and modernised as part of the Grade A refurbishment.

Stripped bare

The 1988 building was stripped back to its concrete frame before being rebuilt and extended with state of the art materials and services to help achieve an expected BREEAM Very Good rating and meet the needs of modern occupiers.

An extra office floor and landscaped terrace was added to the top of the building, lifting it from three to four storeys and opening up spectacular views, while the front of the building was extended out by 12.5 metres.

The impressive wrap-around terrace

A warm welcome

The new double-height reception is framed by a mezzanine communal meeting area and features a bespoke copper desk and oversized hanging planter.

The use of full height glazing panels and glazed internal walls allows light to flood the space, creating a sophisticated welcome to the building.

State-of-the-art reception

Increased car parking

We also oversaw the extension of the car park which serves Building Two, where another 3 floors were added above the original structure. This involved extensive negotiations with Network Rail due to the adjacent main line railway.

Darren Ward, Powell Williams partner, said:
“Originally known only for its eye catching frontage, Building Two has now regained its wow factor with the addition of an impressive new reception and a stunning penthouse suite complete with an enviable wrap-around terrace, creating a unique city feel with great views and space.

This was a complex project as we created a new building around an existing frame, working with designs which evolved throughout, and within the confines of a busy business park and global brand name tenants.

The end result is extremely exciting. The team has created an ultra-modern office block to meet the space, sustainability and amenity requirements of today’s occupiers.”

Jonathan Lawes from Cube Real Estate added:
“We are delighted with the completion of Building Two, it’s a prime example of how to radically improve a building to meet the requirements of an ever more discerning occupier market.

We brought together a skilled team, led by Powell Williams, which has delivered a complex scheme to an excellent standard. It clearly demonstrates what can be achieved in modernising older sites, and sets a new standard for office accommodation in this region.

The marketplace is certainly ready for the opportunities Building Two offers occupiers, providing an impressive Grade A standard with all the quality expected of a city office, but with the additional amenities of parking and room to expand, all just eight miles from the M25 and close to Guildford station.”

Guildford Business Park

The project forms part of a wider investment in upgrading the 260,000 sq ft business park by Benson Elliot and Cube. We have been involved since 2015 with acquisition advice, dilapidations, project management, principal designer, contract administration and employer’s agent roles.

We also acted for Cube on behalf of Benson Elliot in the refurbishment and upgrade of offices at 55 Princess Street in Manchester, 11 Brindleyplace in Birmingham, 150 St Vincents Street in Glasgow and Templeback in Bristol.

Additonal consultants

The architect for Building Two is TP Bennett, the contractor is Brymor and agents are JLL and Montagu Evans.