The project seeks to redevelop an existing office building known as Evershed House situated on 70 Great Bridgewater Street in Manchester, which backs onto the Rochdale Canal. Renamed Havelock after the original listed mill that stood on the site until 1992, inspiration has been drawn from the punch cards that formed part of the silk Jacquard looms used at Havelock Mill for details on the facade.
The project will reconfigure the building to provide a replacement of the existing facades, a complete internal refurbishment, and the addition of 2 no. levels of office space. In total 10,290sqm of accommodation will be provided including office space, reception and lobby, lounge areas, cycle storage, changing rooms, showers and a wellness studio. Each level has access to outdoor terraces, projecting from the steel structure at opposing corners of the floorplate.
The replacement of the entire facade will enable significant fabric performance improvements, meanwhile the retention of the existing concrete frame represents a significant saving in terms of embodied carbon (2000 tonnes of CO2 or the equivalent of 4,750 flights to New York or the planting of 10,250 trees). The project has received BREAM Outstanding at the interim design stage. This represents the very best in terms of building design and overall sustainable performance.
The project achieved planning approval in April 2020, it is currently under construction.
