In 2013, Cubex teamed up with their funding partner Fiera Real Estate UK (“FRE UK”) on a £420m regeneration scheme in Bristol – one of the largest and most significant mixed-use regeneration projects in the South West.
Nine years on, Finzels Reach has become a go-to destination for people living and working in the South West.
Almost a decade since the pair originally acquired the prime 4.7-acre site, Finzels Reach is now home to 1million sq ft of new space, comprising 375,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, 737 new homes including 100 affordable homes and 429 Build to Rent apartments, a 168-bed hotel and 30,000 sq ft of leisure space.
Over the years, Cubex and FRE UK have created some of the UK’s most sustainable office buildings, including award-winning Aurora, the 95,500 sq ft Grade A scheme in the heart of Bristol which, upon completion, was one of only six buildings in the UK to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating.
In addition to the pair’s market-leading office accommodation, Cubex and FRE UK have managed the development of six beautifully designed apartment complexes. The first saw the construction of the Brewery’s old Cask Store, offering a collection of 38 individually designed apartments.
The next scheme, Hawkins & George, was the first Built to Rent scheme of scale to be delivered in Bristol and saw the creation of 194 apartments across two locations. Each of the apartments were designed to be affordable, long-term rental homes, which helped to meet a growing need for rental accommodation in the City.
As part of the wider Finzels Reach regeneration, Cubex and FRE UK constructed Castle Bridge, which provides a striking connection between Finzels Reach and the City centre for pedestrians and cyclists. Castle Bridge forms part of FRE UK and Cubex’s wider vision to create plenty of car-free landscaped public space within the quarter, to draw people in and foster a real sense of community.
Most recently, the pair began work on phase II of Finzels Reach’s regeneration, which has seen the construction of a new 116,000 sq ft office scheme, Halo. This new scheme was recently awarded a BREEAM Outstanding rating for ‘Shell & Core’ and ‘Cat A Fit Out’, achieving the second highest combined score in the UK to date.
Cubex and FRE UK are dedicated to creating sustainable assets that are fit for the future and support the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy. When Halo is complete, it is expected that the scheme will have 69% less water consumption*, 35% better energy consumption**, and 47% less carbon emissions**. It will also offer the highest speed charging points for electric vehicles and roof-mounted solar panels to reduce energy costs and encourage the use of renewable energy.
Alongside the office offering, phase II will also provide 231 new homes for rent, as well as 66 affordable homes, consisting of 48 homes for the social rented market and 18 for shared ownership. Together, these schemes will help to address the housing crisis in Bristol.
Cubex and FRE UK have been developing in Bristol since 2004 and, since then, they have built a thriving neighbourhood with a wide range of leisure space and modern places to live and work. Finzels Reach has become a prosperous community, fit for the future, with even more exciting schemes on the way.
For more information on what’s on offer at Finzels Reach, click here.
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* Improvement over figures stated in; BSRIA (2011). Rules of Thumb, Guideline to Building Services. 5th ed. 54% improvement over calculated baseline in BREEAM (2018).
** Compared to notional figure calculated from the methodology followed in; HM government (2013). Approved Document L2A, Conservation of fuel and power in new buildings other than dwellings.