RED Group wins in Bristol and Bath

RED Group’s South West division has been appointed to deliver two office developments at more than £42 million in Bristol and Bath.

Appointed by BlackRock and development manager LS Estates the first of these two premier Cat A office redevelopments for the specialist main contractor is at Portwall Place, Bristol. Redefining the city’s workspace market, Portwall Place will span seven floors and 150,000 sq ft of office space, designed by architects Buckley Grey Yeoman (BGY). The building’s market-leading amenity provision will include a café, gym, and communal workspaces, featuring Bristol’s largest roof terrace with views over the City Centre, the Brunel Mile, St Mary Redcliffe, the Floating Harbour, and the Mendip Hills beyond.

The team will also carry out external repairs to the building façade and construct over 7,500 sq ft of terrace spaces with improved ecology through green roof areas. Targeting EPC A, BREEAM Excellent, and Nabers 4.5, Portwall Place has been designed as an all-electric building with a calculated saving for embodied carbon at 75 per cent, and works will complete at the end of 2027.

The second of the two new projects is Pinesgate West in Bath, an £8 million office refurbishment located along the Avon River, which will be the new headquarters for engineering consultancy firm, Buro Happold. RED South West has been appointed by WPV Developments, and are working to AWW Architects’ design, targeting BREEAM Excellent and EPC A. Removing the façade and replacing it with a new envelope will improve the building’s aesthetic and form a prestigious gateway into Bath, but also drive lower energy consumption by minimising solar gain. That operational energy reduction is also supported through the introduction of PV panels, with EV charging, cycle storage, and an external terrace adding to the desirability of the scheme for its future occupiers.

This project marks a continuation of the relationship between RED South West and AWW. The two Bristol-based businesses also partnered on Hollis Wharf, the £13 million 45,000 sq ft mixed-used development in Bath, and a £15 million health hub in Weston-super-Mare.

James Devey, Divisional Director at RED South West, commented: “These two premier office projects highlight RED’s dominance in the region, expertise in sustainable development, and sensitivity to local heritage. Set to be the largest commercial refurbishment in the South West, Portwall Place is a landmark scheme for Bristol and one that will be looked to as a benchmark for the office market here. Pinesgate takes the same inspiration, building on Bath’s industrial heritage whilst keeping sustainability a priority. These schemes will really stand out, in cities where there is huge demand for quality office space, and we have a big role to play in delivering them.”

Jamie Furse, Director and Architect at AWW, said: “Pinesgate will be our third project with Red South West, following Hollis Wharf and Weston Health Hub, so our working relationship has already delivered some really positive outcomes for our region. As Pinesgate sets the pace for future developments in Bath, we were always keen to partner with a construction team that truly understood its complexities, with a thorough appreciation of what makes the city unique. As AWW celebrated its 50th year, it was incredibly rewarding to continue delivering projects that set benchmarks in design and helped shape the future direction of architecture across key South West locations.”