Member Article

British Council for Offices’ Awards go virtual for the first time as the 50/60 Station Road is crowned the Midlands and Central England’s Be

50/60 Station Road, Cambridge has been recognised as one of the best workplaces in the Midlands and Central England at the annual British Council for Offices’ (BCO) regional awards. This year, the prestigious event was held virtually as part of the BCO’s Festival Awards Week, which recognises the highest quality developments in the UK and sets the standard for excellence in the regional and national office sector.

50/60 Station Road, Cambridge was awarded Best Commercial Workplace. Heart of the Cambridge CB1 masterplan, the BCO judges felt unanimously that this state-of-the-art development in the city’s bustling technology quarter “exudes quality”, offering a spectacular welcome for those arriving at Cambridge Railway Station. Developed by Brookgate, the nine-storey building offers 156,000 sq-ft of Grade A office space, accessed via a well-considered, welcoming entrance. The building design demonstrates a clear focus on the health and wellbeing of its occupiers, with a rooftop garden terrace, on-site cycle and changing facilities and full-length windows, providing a consistent, showering of daylight across the office space.

Rob van Zyl, building services partner at Cundall and chair of the Midlands & Central England judging panel commented: “This year’s entrants demonstrate that agile working has come of age, and 50/60 Station Road is no exception. What was initially a move towards cramming more people into less space through ‘hotdesking’ has now evolved into something that is clearly more focused on the health and wellness of occupiers. It is also encouraging to see accelerating trends towards sustainability, efficiencies in energy consumption and the use of natural shapes, materials and plants. All across Britain, the office sector now possesses more knowledge on how to create a healthy and productive office than ever before and is making informed design decisions to an outstanding effect.”

Danny Parmar, chairman of the BCO Midlands & East Anglia committee added: “Many congratulations to 50/60 Station Road for being awarded the Best Commercial Workplace. This was one of several outstanding entries in this year’s BCO regional awards programme and reflects both the strength of our sector and the increasing demands placed upon it to deliver market-leading work environments.”

The ceremony marked the 12th year of the BCO Regional Awards dedicated to the Midlands and Central region. Held online, the ceremony was a virtual first for the BCO, but still involved all the usual excitement that makes up the in-person ceremony. Guests were able to network, celebrate with friends and watch a live ceremony, presented by the BBC’s former Chief Political Correspondent, John Sergeant to recreate the magic of the traditional awards ceremony.

Winners from the Midlands and Central England will compete with those from other regions at the BCO Virtual National Awards on Tuesday 26 January 2021.

Other workplaces across the Midlands and Central England that received recognition include: Colmore Building: Interface, The Greenhouse, Birmingham (Best Project up to 1,500m²) Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building, Warwickshire (Innovation Award) KMB Tachbrook Park, Leamington Spa (Best Recycled / Refurbished Workplace) WD-40, 252 The Square, Milton Keynes (Best Fit Out of Workplace) British Sugar HQ, Peterborough (Best Corporate Workplace)

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Yates .