Member Article

North East offices celebrated as best-in-class at UK's top workplace awards

Last night, two offices in the North East were named among the best workplaces in the country at the British Council for Offices (BCO) annual National Awards. Live Works in Newcastle took home the coveted prize for Best project up to 1,500m2, whilst Janet Nash House in Durham was crowned Corporate Workplace of the Year.

The BCO’s respected National Awards programme recognises top quality office design and functionality and sets the standard for excellence across the office sector in the UK. The dinner attracted over 1,200 key players from the office industry sector to celebrate the best-in-class talent as the winners from the 2019 Regional Awards programme attended Grosvenor House, hoping to take home the National Award for their category.

Designed by Flanagan Lawrence, Live Works is renowned for its economic and artistic legacy. Set among Live Theatre’s evolving cultural quarter in Newcastle, the office transforms a century-old gap on the Quayside into a place for the community. The project comprises new offices where the rental income will fund at least one more play and education project each year, plus the Live Tales writing centre in a converted Grade 2 listed Almshouse, and a new public ‘pocket park’. Judges commended how Live Works overcame the challenge of stitching a commercial building into the urban fabric of a richly historic Newcastle neighbourhood.

Janet Nash House is the new European headquarters for global electrical business City Electrical Factors (CEF). The building combines a variety of working environments to create a rich office landscape of workplace settings – this has allowed the firm to consolidate all of its departments into one location, helping to improve both individual and team performance. Judges lauded both this and the building’s commitment to wellbeing, including a superb gym, healthy eating café, games area, sheltered outdoor terraces and extensive cycling facilities.

Ian Aldous, Chair of the BCO’s Northern Judging Committee, commented: “Both Janet House Nash and Live Works are phenomenal office spaces. They have demonstrated the strength of the Northern office market with each showcasing excellence in design, wellbeing and community, and thoroughly deserving of their respective trophies.”

Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive of the BCO, said: “The standard of nominees at our National Awards astounds me each year. Each year, I believe we genuinely see the best of our sector redefine what best practice looks like. The winners, Janet Nash House and Live Works, are testament to a dynamic region. Congratulations to the winners and all those nominated.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emily Hallinan .