PLANS to refurbish a Glasgow city centre office is an opportunity to create one the most sustainable office buildings in Scotland, a developer says.
Santander UK have partnered with Osborne+Co to undertake the refurbishment of their Glasgow office at 301 St Vincent Street, with the pair saying they have submitted detailed plans to Glasgow City Council.
As part of the planned refurbishment the heating & cooling systems will be renewed with a new all-electric system which would make the building carbon neutral.
Will Hean, director and head of Scotland for Osborne+Co, said: “We have a huge opportunity here to set a new benchmark by creating one of the most sustainable office buildings of its size in Scotland.
“With every corporate tenant focused on their carbon reduction, one of the great benefits to occupiers here will be the embodied carbon saving.
“Our sustainability consultants calculate a 45% carbon reduction compared to the construction of an equivalent new build.
“Due to the scale of the building, we are able to offer unrivalled facilities in a highly sustainable way, supporting our tenants’ ESG priorities.”
As part of their role, Osborne+Co, the developers of JP Morgan’s Glasgow-based European tech hub on Argyle Street, will be looking to let around 200,000 sq ft of additional space.
Although it has some of the largest floor space in the city centre, at circa 60,000 sq ft, the building can also allow for subdivisions to offer office suites as small as 5,000 sq ft.
Santander have owned and occupied this building for more than 30 years and and hope that the phased renovation will signal the Bank’s commitment to Glasgow.
Nick Roberts, head of property at Santander UK, said: “The scale of the opportunity at 301 St. Vincent Street will allow us to offer a similarly vibrant destination and level of amenity for occupiers, as we have achieved in our new Head Quarters in Milton Keynes.
“The reception, ground floor and lower ground floor will be substantially remodelled to accommodate flexible, co-working and office space together with conferencing and meeting spaces.
“We will be looking to recreate many of the innovative features we designed into Unity Place, which provides our staff with a game changing working environment.
“The building includes a lively and community driven ground floor market hall, which is also open to the public with bars and cafes, restaurants, wellness areas, meeting facilities and even its own microbrewery.”
The project team for the proposed refurbishment include architects LOM, engineering consultants Cundall and planning consultants Porter Planning.
