Merseyway Innovation Centre recognised as leading sustainable office space in awards
Merseyway Innovation Centre has been recognised as one of the leading office spaces in the North, having won first place in the Projects Under 2,500sqm category at this year’s British Council for Offices (BCO) Northern Regional Awards.
Taking top spot in the category for North of England, North Wales and Northern Ireland, Merseyway Innovation Centre was described by judges as a ‘truly sustainable approach to building reuse’.
The significant retrofit project, which completed in October 2023, breathed new life into a disused 1960’s retail unit in Stockport town centre, with Stockport City Council, which owns the building, aiming to create a ‘best-in-class workspace that supports, enhances, and sustains its users’.
Designed by 5Plus Architects, Merseyway Innovation Centre delivers a high-quality office environment containing various sizes of office suites along with all necessary support space, including a business lounge, co-working spaces, shared or individual offices, meeting rooms, kitchens and more, for start-up and growing businesses.
Incorporation of bicycle storage, showers and lockers encourages active travel to the centre, while updates to the building include additional glazing to provide better daylight, and increased insulation and ventilation to create thermal and acoustic enhancements.
Merseyway Innovation Centre – which is managed by Oxford Innovation Space on behalf of Stockport Council – forms a vital phase of the re-configuration of Stockport’s town centre, creating high quality shared working space that repurposes vacant retail floorspace.
Rob Kates, Centre Manager at Merseyway Innovation Centre, said: “Merseyway Innovation Centre is a prime example of how an office’s design features, team and network can truly support small businesses to achieve their dreams. We are a place of ‘casual collisions’ – chance meetings between businesses which turn into strong professional partnerships, and the design of the space and its lean towards community is responsible for that.
“The incredible fit out from 5Plus Architects sets the centre apart in terms of its look and feel – and the sustainable features within form part of that. Meanwhile, the networking opportunities and innovation advice our staff offer to our users is undoubtedly helping them to grow and create a thriving economy within Stockport. We’re delighted to be recognised by the BCO, and hold the firm belief that Merseyway Innovation Centre is Stockport’s best office space for businesses looking to take the next step on their journey.”
Phil Doyle, director of 5Plus Architects, said: “The refurbishment at Merseyway Innovation Centre demonstrates how older, disused structures can be transformed with minimal intervention to create a no compromise, low carbon and low energy workspace fully enabled to support the businesses of the future. In turn, this acts as a catalyst for the regeneration of our town centres, adding footfall and critical mass to our high streets.
“We remain proud to have played a part in the refurbishment of Merseyway Innovation Centre and look forward to seeing what it achieves next.”
The Merseyway Innovation Centre refurbishment was led by project management team CBRE, contractor TMT Group, architect and interior designer 5Plus Architects, and structural engineer Renaissance – all based locally to Stockport to create a regionalised supply chain.
Merseyway Innovation Centre has been made possible through funding from the EU’s European Regional Development Fund (via Northern Powerhouse), the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Stockport Council and from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport’s Cultural Development Fund managed by Arts Council England.
