Marston's headquarters is highly commended in design awards
It has brightened up a corner of Wolverhampton's Chapel Ash and now Marston's House has won a design award.
The building has been highly commended in the British Council for Offices national awards.
The headquarters of breweries and pubs group Marston's was recognised last night in the corporate workplace category of the awards.
Marston’s House appealed to the judges with how it has transformed the obsolete 1960s Marston’s offices into a “superb” modern and creative workplace.
The judges concluded that Marston’s House is one of the best examples today of blending great pub design with the requirements of agile, flexible and inspiring workspaces.
At a cost put at 'nearly £10 million' by boss Ralph Findlay, city-based beer and pubs giant Marston's effectively rebuilt its head office in a 12-month operation that saw hundreds of staff moved over the road at Chapel Ash to the old Coniston House offices. They worked there for a year, with a grandstand view of the work as Marston's House was stripped back to its concrete frame and liftshafts.
The panel praised the architects for creating multiple working spaces, ranging from informal meeting areas to multi-functional work spaces on the ground floor, plus “pub style” meeting areas.
Ed Hancock, estates director and project leader for the Marston’s House project, said: “We were delighted to win the Midlands category, but to get second overall in the country, only narrowly missing out to the huge project undertaken by Sky for its new HQ, is still a feat in itself. It demonstrates to me that here in Wolverhampton we can stand tall and proud of what we can do and that we can be a match for anyone.”
Matt Viall, chairman of the BCO judging panel in the Midlands and Central England, said: “It’s great to see two really well-designed and used buildings in the West Midlands being picked out by the judges in the national awards.
"It is particularly heartening to see that Birmingham City’s Council’s multi-award-winning office has remained true to its original intent and objectives, delivering a superb work space for staff.”
Birmingham City Council's 10 Woodcock Street building scooped the Test of Time award – six years after first opening its doors. It opened after the local authority consolidated 25 buildings into one.
The BCO awards programme recognises top quality office design and functionality.
More than 1,300 of the country’s top developers, occupiers, architects and designers, who won their category in the 2017 regional awards programme, attended last night’s dinner
