KEEPING YOU IN THE LOOP

Aurora: Better for the environment, your pocket and your well-being!

There are few office buildings in the country that have secured the rare sustainability accreditation awarded to Aurora, Bristol’s only speculative new build office development – and there’s a good reason.

In every area, Aurora beats its targets for energy efficiency, making it a truly low impact building. The 95,000 sq ft building, which is being delivered by developer Cubex as part of Bristol’s new waterside quarter, Finzels Reach, also offers the knock-on advantage of being exceptionally cost-effective to run and an excellent environment within which to work.

There are energy efficiency measures implemented throughout the building, with Aurora set to consume 55% less carbon and have 51% better energy consumption than current Building Regulations stipulate, benefiting from gas boilers than are 12% more efficient and air chillers that are 55% more efficient than required.

Water consumption will be 51% less and operational costs will be 53% less than demanded by the latest regulations.

Other green features include: rooftop mounted solar panels, which will generate 29,800 kWh per year of renewable energy; intelligent LED lighting, which will respond to daylight and the movement of people within the building automatically; a heat recovery system, which will reuse waste heat; and energy regeneration technology so lifts benefit from reused energy on the downward journey.

There’s no doubt that implementing measures like this is good news for the environment and occupiers’ pockets. But we’ve also placed important emphasis on creating an environment which is inviting and comfortable for staff.

Fed up waiting for the lift? Our sophisticated lift controls reduce waiting time. Wish you had more access to natural daylight? Our floor to ceiling glazing lets in plenty of natural daylight, whilst reducing the use of energy for lighting. In need of freshening up after cycling to work? There will be lockers and showers on site.

Or maybe you fancy some fresh air? Our ventilation systems supply 17% more fresh air to occupants than required by Building Regulations, yet still delivering a 39% energy saving compared to requirements. Of course, there’s also the option of stepping out on to a roof terrace garden with views across the city!

Aurora will be a landmark headquarters building in Bristol’s central business district of Grade A quality, a term used to describe brand new premier office space. It will consist of six storeys, with each floor measuring 15,500 sq ft. A striking façade and double height reception area will lead through to a central glass atrium which will extend to the full height of the building.

As well as having 51 secure car parking spaces on site, Aurora benefits from electric car charging points and secure bicycle and motorcycle storage.

The scheme achieved a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ design stage certificate under the BREEAM New Construction 2014 for Offices assessment category. It is the only office building outside of London and one of only six in the UK to have achieved this accreditation – a rare achievement of which we are immensely proud.

Cubex expects the building to be ready for fit out in the first quarter of 2018. Enquiries can be made to Martin Booth of Knight Frank on 0117 917 4990 or Chris Meredith of Savills on 0117 910 2216.

Premier Inn being put to bed

The 168 bedroom hotel at Finzels Reach is in the final stages of construction. By the Autumn it will be open for guests bringing great opportunities for local businesses.

Completion of the Premier Inn is due in July, with plans for it to be welcoming its first customers some time in September. The scaffolding is now coming down to reveal the finished elevations, while workers inside are putting the final touches to the internal services. It will soon be handed over to Whitbread for them to carry out operational checks.

Shane Pomery from Dickson Powell told us: “The method of construction is particularly efficient, for example bringing in completed pods for the bathrooms. These are simply lifted into place and connected up. If you thought the final stage of the build has passed by in double quick time, that’s the reason why.”

The six exciting projects building Bristol’s future city centre skyline

The Evening Post look  ahead at the six biggest projects that will change the landscape of the city in the next few years, all within a few minutes walk of Bristol Temple Meads. The impressive Aurora building being built on the front of Finzel’s Reach, the Premier Inn and Generator Building being prepared for regeneration. all feature.

Read More: here

Aurora will have Britain’s first Drone Landing Pad

A brand new office block in the center of Bristol will include Britain’s first Drone Landing Pad on the roof.

The Aurora Building, which is being constructed as part of the Finzel’s Reach development, will provide a spot for people working in the offices to receive deliveries by drone by going onto the roof.

Delivering packages by drone is currently being trialed by Amazon – with the first deliveries being made earlier this year. But so far the trials have been only in rural areas and there are restrictions on flying drones over built-up areas. Delivery firms are confident it won’t be long before people will be able to receive packages – at the moment ones weighing less than 5lbs – by drone, as long as they have a secure area in which the drone can safely land.

The drones won’t be flown by remote control, but instead will be completely automated. The technology exists now, but the authorities are still yet to give it the go-ahead for wider scale use, especially in cities. But the bosses of the Finzel’s Reach development clearly believe drone delivery will be so commonplace in just a few years’ time that they are ‘future-proofing’ their new office building to include one now.

The building is under construction and is the only speculative office building in Finzel’s Reach, Bristol on the opposite bank of the Floating Harbour across from Castle Park.

The initiative is a further progression of the companies’ drive to create technology enabled buildings, being at the forefront of the adapting nature that buildings need to be for the modern day occupier.

Investment firm Palmer Capital are Cubex’s partner in the development. Its director Steven Wright said it would be another thing to attract companies to occupy offices there.

“Occupiers are increasingly seeing the importance of high quality and flexible spaces in order to recruit and retain the best employees and so buildings need to be at the forefront of this – providing an environment for staff to thrive and live rather than just being a place to work. This does not just end on the letting of the building, but the on-going monitoring of use to ensure that maximise efficiency is achieved in not just energy but also the density of use.” 

Gavin Bridge said Aurora would be ‘ahead of the curve’. “Aurora will further add to Cubex’s track record in developing buildings that are ‘ahead of the curve’ of what the market requires, by delivering the only building outside of London to a BREEAM Outstanding level in what will be the best building in Bristol once finished. We are continuing to work to explore further technology to ensure that the building will keep performing for occupiers in the years following their investment,” he added.

Places to stay in Bristol with waterfront views

Many of Bristol’s hotels and apartments have views of the river and beyond, but if you’re after something a little closer to the water’s edge and with Bristol’s Harbour Festival (21-23 July) just round the corner, why not snap up a waterside spot for the occasion?

Cleyro Serviced Apartments Company, have accommodation with waterside locations in the Finzel’s Reach overlooking the river and Castle Park, as well as near Brunel’s SS Great Britain. These luxury apartments are available with both one and two bedrooms, come fully-equipped with kitchens, washer dryers and many have balconies overlooking the water. An exciting, convenient alternative to hotel accommodation.

Built on the site of the former Courage Brewery, Finzels Reach offers unrivaled quality living. The serviced apartments are located within walking distance of Bristol Temple Meads Train Station, Cabot Circus and the Harbourside, making the apartments the ideal place to stay on your visit to Bristol. Why not explore all the sites Bristol has to offer in the knowledge that at the end of your busy day, you can look forward to our premium self-catering accommodation and excellent customer service from Cleyro.

The apartments are very spacious and are equipped with the highest end fixtures and fittings. The apartments are extremely modern and provide  the very best in luxury self-catering accommodation. When you arrive at their apartments you can expect a very warm welcome by a member of the team who will escort you to the apartments personally.

Find out more at: http://www.cleyroapartments.com/apartments/finzels-reach-two-bedroom-deluxe/

12 new places to eat in Bristol this spring

The new Finzels Market has been featured on Visit Bristol as one of the 12 new places to eat in Bristol

“With one of Bristol’s latest city centre developments, Finzels Reach, comes an exciting new street food market. Taking place opposite Castle Park every Friday from 12-2, there’ll be a different tasty line-up each week. From Thai street food to Paella, Cantonese dumplings to mac ‘n’ cheese, it’s perfect for an out-of- the-ordinary lunchtime refuel.”

Read the full story here

PRS developer plans surge of new building

Private rental scheme (PRS) developer Grainger has unveiled plans to build six new apartment developments in the next two years.

The company has just presented shareholders with half-yearly results showing a 13 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £41 million. It said this reflects the current favourable climate and it will prompt the construction of more new developments.

Noting that 20 per cent of all homes in England are now privately rented – the highest proportion on record – chief executive Helen Gordon said now is an ideal time for further investment and said fundraising efforts will reflect this.

She added: “We have secured £439 million of private rented sector investment, over half of our £850 million target, and have good visibility on additional investment opportunities to meet our overall target.

“We are making good progress delivering our pipeline, and on average we are completing a new PRS building every two months over the next two years.”

The company’s current plans include the £46 million Finzels Reach development in Bristol. When it is finished in 2019, it will contain 194 homes.

In addition to this, the firm has £425 million of further schemes in the planning or legal stage, Ms Grainger noted.

These is a demonstration of how PRS schemes have not just spread beyond London to other major cities across the country, but also to towns within commuting distance of the capital.

Palmer Capital secures £225m of equity for largest-ever fund

The Palmer Capital Development Fund IV builds on the success of the third fund, which invested £175m of equity in 15 projects between 2014 and 2016. Alex Bignell, head of UK at CBRE GIP, said the track record of the previous funds made it “an easy decision to launch a fourth fund”.

The new four-year fund will have the same two-year investment window as the previous vehicle, as well as the same target to deliver a 15% internal rate of return (IRR) for CBRE GIP investors.

Chris Button, head of value-add real estate investment management at Palmer Capital, said that although it was now later in the property cycle, the firm was confident of delivering the same returns because of the lack of competition for the type of deals it was pursuing.

“We believe that uncertainties in the property market and flight to prime assets will create buying opportunities for value-add investors, which we are well positioned to exploit,” he said.
The fund will explore three broad investment themes. The first is to acquire land with a view to securing planning permission for residential development, the second is to speculatively develop new regional offices and sheds and the third is to add value to standing investments through asset management.

Leverage will also be used to enhance returns up to a limit of 50% loan-to-value – although the gearing level is likely to be lower than this.

Committed

About £25m of the fund’s equity has already been committed across three acquisitions. The biggest deal is the £11.3m purchase from Tesco of Kingsmead Business Park on Howland Road in Thame, where the leases of the two main occupiers, DAF Trucks and Kubota UK, are set to expire this July and in 2018.

The fund has also bought 5.7 acres of land in Spofforth in North Yorkshire with a view to securing residential planning consent.

It has further acquired 125 acres of land on the south-eastern outskirts of Ayr, Scotland, for £3.4m. The land benefits from planning permission in principle for a mixed-use scheme that the firm will reconfigure to increase the residential component.

FINZELS REACH STREET FOOD MARKET, BRISTOL

Great review of the Street market by Gingy Bites

“You know I love my street food and after 7 months away from Bristol, I’m pleased to see that the scene here is as buzzing as ever. In fact, we’ve just got back from a quick lunch at the brand new Finzels Reach Market which launched today.

Gavin Bridge, director of Finzels Reach developers Cubex, added: “This new market will provide an opportunity for people living and working at Finzels Reach, as well as the surrounding community, to gather and relax with some delicious food before the weekend.”

NEW STREET FOOD MARKET COMES TO FINZELS REACH

Have you heard? There’s a new weekly street food market starting at Finzels Reach in May!
Taking place every Friday lunchtime in Old Temple Street (just off Counterslip and next to Bridgewater House), visitors can expect up to 15 stalls serving locally produced street food providing exciting lunchtime eats including Cantonese dumplings, handmade gourmet pies, Thai curry, wood fired pizza, brownies, falafel wraps, artisan breads, cakes and much more. To ensure there is lots of choice and variety, there will be guest stalls every week, keeping things fresh and seasonal.

We’ll be keeping you up to date on which traders will be taking part each week by sending regular emails out like this and would be grateful if you could forward these onto any friends or work colleagues who might be interested.

The market opens on Friday 5 May from 12pm – 2pm with live music and general merriment to celebrate the opening of Bristol’s newest market!

Find out more by following the market on Facebook (Finzels Reach Market) and Twitter @FinzelsReachMkt.