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This year’s award winners raise the bar for ESG and customer experience.
An office designed entirely around circular economy principles, a 3,300m2 living wall and a former infirmary transformed into a modern office and events space, were just three of the amazing office innovations highlighted at the British Council for Offices’s (BCO) National Awards event.
The awards, widely recognised across the built environment for celebrating the very best in office design, development and operation, took place at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel on London’s Park Lane on 7 October.
The winners, announced in front of an audience of more than 1,200 senior figures from across the office sector, showcase what it takes to create a successful office in today’s environment and how those leading the way are revitalising cities, cutting carbon and setting new benchmarks for best-in-class.
This year’s event also handed out its first awards for customer experience, a new category focused on how well the UK’s offices are serving the people that occupy them.
Mike Burton, Chair of National Awards judging panel, said: “This year’s judging process revealed a notable shift in how we define excellence in the workplace. The 2025 winners show how the UK’s office sector is leading the way in creating spaces that are not just high-performing and sustainable, but deeply human. The winning projects prove that offices can be catalysts for wellbeing, creativity and urban renewal.”
BCO Chief Executive Samantha McClary added: “The BCO Awards are a celebration of bold thinking and brilliant execution. What stands out this year is the sheer diversity of innovation taking place, from circular economy construction and biophilic design to inclusive, neurodiverse environments and flexible leasing models. These workplaces – and the people who creature and curate them – reflect a sector that’s listening, learning and leading the way in meeting future challenges and opportunities head-on. The BCO is proud to champion this evolution and the people driving it”
The full list of winners from this year’s BCO National Awards:
- Best of the Best – Unusual HQ, Northampton
- Corporate Workplace – Unusual HQ, Northampton
Unusual HQ – Photo courtesy of Corstorphine & Wright Architects
Unusual HQ, the Northamptonshire home of Unusual Rigging, winner of both the Best of the Best and the Corporate Workplace awards has been designed entirely with circular economy principles at its heart. Constructed with cutting-edge biogenic materials, including timber frame and sustainable alternatives such as Breathaboard, the building not only achieves an EPC A+ rating but also generates more energy than it consumes. A key highlight for judges was how this innovative building could be disassembled and reused at the end of its life, massively reducing its carbon footprint.
- Commercial Workplace – One Station Hill, Reading
ONE Station Hill – Photo courtesy of Gensler
Winner of the Commercial Workplace award, One Station Hill in Reading is a brave landmark project which demonstrates how a well-designed workplace can be catalyst for regeneration. The 275,000 sq ft office building opposite Reading station is the first phase in an ambitious new mixed-use neighbourhood and part of part of a visionary £850m masterplan for Reading. PepsiCo, PwC and NewFlex have already leased six floors in the building. The judges said One Station Hill puts Reading into a new class of the business market.
- Fit Out of Workplace – Capital Group, 1 Paddington Square, London
Highly commended – Dojo Bristol
Capital Group – Photo courtesy of tp Bennett. Image ©Hufton+Crow
Capital Group’s offices at 1 Paddington Square in London, which won the Fit Out of Workplace award, boast an impressive client reception and hospitality bar that is seamlessly connected by a stunning lighting sculpture. Feature staircases provide vertical connection, while the clever use of lighting helps users flow effortlessly through the space.
- Projects up to 2,500m² – Englefield Estate Yard, Reading
Highly commended – The Living Lab, London
Englefield Estate Yard – Photo courtesy of ADAM Architecture
The award for Projects Up To 2,500m2 was won by Englefield Estate Yard in Reading. The project is an example of sustainable conservation, transforming a Grade II listed building into a modern, energy-efficient office while preserving its historic character. With a strong focus on sustainability, the project improved the building’s energy performance rating from G to A. It also enhanced biodiversity and promotes wellbeing through natural light, accessible facilities and biophilic design elements.
- Refurbished/Recycled Workplace – Norton Folgate, London
Highly commended – Foundation, Altrincham
Norton Folgate – Photo courtesy of AHMM – Tim Soar
Norton Folgate, near Liverpool Street Station in London, took the honours in the Refurbished / Recycled Workplace category. This £225m project by British Land breathes new life into once neglected buildings, weaving together sensitive restoration, inventive remodelling and bold new architecture across three urban blocks. From its inception in 2012, sustainability was at the heart of every decision, meeting the latest GLA and LETI targets and championing circular economy principles long before they became industry buzzwords.
- Innovation – The Edinburgh Futures Institute, Edinburgh
Highly commended – Oldham Spindles, Oldham
The Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) – Photo courtesy of Bennetts Associates Architects. Image ©Hufton+Crow
The Edinburgh Futures Institute, winner of the Innovation award, saw the neglected, category-A-listed Old Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh transformed into a modern office and events space. The restored 20,000m2 space includes state-of-the-art teaching facilities, co-working space, incubation areas for businesses, labs for innovation and prototyping, as well as exhibition and event spaces. The judges were impressed by the excavation under the main concourse to form a new auditorium, the innovative construction techniques required to restore and enhance the building, and the commitment of the University of Edinburgh to regenerating this as an asset which brings academia, business and the community together.
- ESG – Eden, Salford
Highly commended – 11 Belgrave, London
Eden – Photo courtesy of ECF
ESG award winner Eden is a landmark office development in Salford’s New Bailey regeneration masterplan. This LETI Pioneer project is the UK’s first commercial office to achieve a 5.5-star NABERS UK “Design Reviewed” rating and has played a significant part in shaping current BCO guidance. Its 3,300m² living wall – the largest in Europe – enhances biodiversity, improves air quality and mitigates urban heat, delivering a 174 per cent biodiversity net gain. The building’s 100 per cent electric energy system, smart ventilation and air-source heat pumps contribute to an industry-leading operational energy efficiency of 43.8 kWh/m²/year, supporting its BREEAM Outstanding and EPC A ratings.
- Test of Time – BBC Wales, Cardiff
BBC Wales – Photo courtesy of ID:SR (Sheppard Robson)
BBC Cymru Wales’ broadcast centre in Cardiff is this year’s winner of the Test of Time award. As well as creating a 21st century digital broadcasting environment, the BREEAM Outstanding headquarters was a pioneer of inclusive and neurodiversity design, evidenced in lighting, colour, patterns and routes through the building. In addition, the BBC FM team has implemented a programme of building performance measures resulting in a 20 per cent reduction in energy consumption per annum.
- Customer Experience, Commercial Landlord – Woolyard, London
Highly commended –Here East, Stratford
Woolyard – Photo courtesy of GPE
Judges described GPE’s Woolyard, winner of the Customer Experience Award – Commercial Landlord category, as a “game-changer”. Judges were struck by how this model reduces complexity and aligns with occupier preferences, demonstrating deep listening and operational agility. Traditional building manager roles have been pivoted to be customer-facing with CX leads having a direct line into the CEO. The “steam punk” aesthetic, integrated public realm and informal, human-centred service model create a workspace that feels rooted in Bermondsey’s cultural identity.
- Customer Experience, Corporate Occupier – 250 Bishopsgate, London
Highly commended –Cadworks, Glasgow (Ovo Energy)
250 Bishopsgate – Photo courtesy of NatWest
Winner of the Customer Experience Award – Corporate Occupier award, NatWest’s offices at 250 Bishopsgate in the City of London are an exemplar of operational best practice for insight-led customer experience. The integration of technology with human-centred service is a theme throughout, from the seamless check-in via tablet at reception to the presence of community hosts on each floor. The team has captured the voices of 9,000 colleagues through various surveys, and these insights directly inform customer strategy. The building offers a diverse range of working environments, including acoustically optimised areas, inviting rooftop spaces and a central auditorium that is supported by good F&B provision.
- President’s Award – Ken Shuttleworth, Make Architects
Ken Shuttleworth. Image © Make Architects
Make Architects founder Ken Shuttleworth was handed the prestigious President’s Award at the event. He was honoured by BCO president Helen Hare for his outstanding contribution to the real estate industry.
“Ken’s philosophy is not just about the architecture of an individual standalone building,” said Hare. “It is about creating a place – one that must have a heart. Ken has genuinely made a difference to our industry. His fearlessness in breaking down architectural boundaries, dedication to bringing through the next generation of architects, while supporting other aspects of the office sector, is why he is the perfect recipient of this year’s BCO President’s Award.”
Shuttleworth is recognised as one of the world’s leading architects and continues to deliver a portfolio of iconic, innovative and sustainable buildings.
Over the course of his 50-year career he has worked on some of the most groundbreaking architectural landmarks in the world, from HSBC in Hong Kong to London’s Canary Wharf. He was one of the first to develop a 100 per cent employee-owned architectural business and is committed to diversity, inclusion and recognising the importance of people.
Entries for 2026 awards are now officially open. Download the 2026 Entry Guide here.
