Bruntwood, Trafford bag first office tenant at new-look Rackhams 

Marketing agency Sportfive will occupy 13,600 sq ft on the second floor of the former Altrincham department store, which is being redeveloped into an office scheme branded Foundation. 

Sportfive has signed a 10-year lease on the second floor of the former Rackhams department store and will relocate from its current home in Wilmslow, doubling the size of its office. 

Bruntwood and Trafford Council’s Foundation scheme is due to complete this autumn. Previously home to House of Fraser, the scheme, will comprise 50,000 sq ft of workspace and 25,000 sq ft earmarked for retail and leisure.   

“As we near completion of Foundation, it is incredibly exciting to be building our community of forward-thinking and innovative businesses that will make it one of the most exciting workspaces in Greater Manchester,” said Sharon Johnson, head of commercial at Bruntwood. 

“Our vision for Foundation has always been to create a place where businesses and the wider community can come together, collaborate, socialise and learn, and really add to the culture and vibrancy that already exists in Altrincham.” 

She added: “Sportfive is a perfect example of a business that has its entrepreneurial and ambitious roots in Manchester, which has seen it expand globally, meaning it has much to offer the wider community of customers that will be based at Foundation.”  

Sportfive’s arrival follows that of Lane7 as Foundation’s first leisure operator. 

The boutique bowling brand has 11 sites across the UK and will occupy the 12,640 sq ft lower ground floor at the mixed-use scheme. 

Foundation has been created with sustainability in mind. 

The scheme features a 4,000 sq ft living biophilic wall on the building’s external façade, made up of 36,000 plants grown by I Want Plants in South Manchester. 

Adding thermal insulation, improving air tightness, replacing the gas heating system with heat pumps, and introducing solar panels all aim to bring the building’s EPC rating up to a B. 

Designed by BDP, Foundation is part of Bruntwood Works and Trafford Council’s Stamford Quarter regeneration project, which aims to improve the public realm and transform the area into a mixed-use destination.