10 Brindley Place

Client: CBRE

Our Approach

The brief

10 Brindley Place is Birmingham’s biggest office fit-out and refurbishment scheme that puts wellness, sustainability and the latest technologies at the heart of its design.

The CAT A refurbishment project involved merging two buildings into one, resulting in Birmingham’s largest available floorplates, with an impressive 27,000 square foot each over 12 floors.

CPW played a pivotal role in delivering the mechanical and electrical engineering requirements for this project, ensuring that it operates efficiently and sustainably. The client was looking to set the benchmark for reinventing office space in the West Midlands, placing a strong emphasis on user health and wellbeing, as well as energy efficiency.

Low energy design

The new office space boasts a range of impressive green credentials including 75m² of solar panels, 24 EV charging spaces, rainwater harvesting and an all-electric system powered by green energy. The highly efficient design results in an energy saving compared to a typical office that could power 117 homes for a year.

The design sought to incorporate sustainable building practices and passive-led design to minimise energy usage before looking to renewable technologies as a low carbon energy solution. The design includes high efficiency thermal insulation, glazing ratios and glass specifications, creating strong air tightness to reduce the heating and cooling demands, thereby saving energy, operational costs and carbon.

The refurbishment achieves a carbon net zero and gas free building that saves in energy compared to a typical office.

By retaining the existing building foundation, basement and structural frame, the design has a significant saving on embodied carbon compared to a new development.

The project delivered a wide range of efficiencies, such as:

60% savings on embodied carbon compared to creating a new development
65% annual operations energy savings compared to a typical office of equal size
53% operational carbon reduction compared to pre-refurbishment
savings of 658 tonnes of CO₂ per year (the same as 100 bullring bulls)

Health and wellbeing

A strong emphasis was given to occupier wellness, placing building users at the heart of our design approach, from the ventilation to the amenities, as well as the office aesthetic. The spacious contemporary open floor plan boasts floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the interior with natural lighting alongside an array of green walls and roof terraces.

Receiving a Fitwel 2 Star accreditation ensures that this office meets high standards for occupant health and wellbeing, providing a safe and comfortable environment for employees.

Amenities were key to making this a place where users want to spend time. The building features an on-site café, a fitness studio and bouldering wall, cycle storage for 100 bicycles, electric vehicle charging, and two communal roof terraces.

The installation of internal and external green walls, as well as a green roof, supports biodiversity and the overall wellbeing of the occupants. Green spaces have been linked to reduced stress and improved mental health, positively impacting the workforce.

By making the office space an enjoyable, sustainable and convenient place to work, building tenants will hope to see greater staff retention and satisfaction.

User-friendly technology solutions

The use of SMART technology including a digital twin and indoor air quality and occupancy sensors means machine learning automation can be utilised to optimise energy use and create a consistently comfortable environment for building users.

The deployment of smart building technologies enhances the user experience by providing real-time energy monitoring, efficient building access, and seamless event organisation. This not only benefits occupants by making their workspaces more convenient and user-friendly but also contributes to sustainable practices by reducing energy consumption.

Achieving Wiredscore Platinum recognises excellence in data connectivity and off-site server options, while also reducing onsite power demand.

This transformative refurbishment not only prioritises environmental sustainability but also provides a dynamic and modern workspace for the city of Birmingham.

Key features