Faulkner House refurb completes
A £2.7m refurbishment of the 38,000 sq ft office block on York Street, Manchester, has overhauled workspace including the ground to fourth floors on behalf of Iris Software Group, and communal areas.
Bruntwood Works, the offices arm of the developer Bruntwood, led the transformation of Faulkner House in the city centre, with CubicWorks as the lead contractor on the project and AXI the appointed architect.
The project involved creating a “first-class arrival experience” for Faulker House occupiers and their visitors, including lounge seating and a host point in reception. These both sit adjacent to bespoke artwork by Sheffield-based Peachzz.
The building’s interior design has been refreshed, incorporating materials such as bamboo and warm colour tones intended to create “a spa-like atmosphere”, Bruntwood Works said. The developer has also added a suite of ground floor showers.
New lounge and reception areas have been created
The external façade has also been redesigned to complement the surrounding area and improve accessibility by incorporating disabled access. It features a new entrance canopy and the installation of aluminium double-glazed windows, intended to improve the building’s thermal performance.
Paul Butler Associates was the planner for the project.
In addition to upgrading the façade and communal areas, the project involved the refurbishment of five floors of office space occupied by technology firm Iris. The company has leased the space since 2014 and is now consolidating its Manchester operations into a single site and expanding its holding at Faulkner House to around 22,000 sq ft.
“As we look ahead to the world returning to work post-lockdown, it’s really important that our workspaces are fit for the future,” said Josh Hancock, head of commercial at Bruntwood Works.
“We are investing heavily in our property portfolio to refurbish our older buildings and introduce more flexibility for our customers so they can choose the spaces that will both facilitate collaboration in a safe and secure way and support a hybrid way of working so they can continue to attract and retain talent.”
Other Faulkner House occupiers include St John Ambulance on the fifth floor and Giovanni’s Deli that operates one of the ground floor units.
The building is on York Street in the city centre
