Willmott Dixon has been appointed by award-winning property developer and urban regenerator Cubex to deliver another landmark in Bristol city centre.

After successfully completing the 95,000 square foot Aurora in 2018, the city’s first BREEAM outstanding office scheme which is located at Finzels Reach, followed by 194 ‘Build to Rent’ homes delivered adjacent to Aurora in 2019, Cubex has now given Willmott Dixon the green light on Halo, a £33m office development opposite the first two schemes.

Halo is being built on the site of Avon Fire and Rescue’s former headquarters and like Aurora, is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating. Staggered over seven floors, it will provide 116,133 square foot of Grade A office space, with international legal firm Osborne Clarke already agreeing to take nearly two thirds of Halo in a pre-let deal earlier this year.

With sustainability at the heart of its design, Halo will be connected to Bristol’s district heating network, which draws heat from a heat bore in the centre of the city. In addition, energy will be generated from descending lifts.  The range of sustainability initiatives embedded in Halo will create one of the UK’s most energy efficient office buildings.

Halo’s modern design also features a corkscrew-like staircase rising up through a glass atrium, with LED lighting, roof-top mounted photovoltaic panels and even a drone landing pad. With its focus on employee wellbeing, key features will include outdoor space on the rooftop, a bike park and glazed façade to maximise views and daylight.

Peter Walford, Director at Cubex said: “We are delighted to be working with Willmott Dixon to deliver Halo. This is the fifth Grade A office building that we’ve developed in this area of Bristol and with each, we aim to raise the bar in terms of both design and innovation, an approach which has been rewarded by the quality of the tenants and investors we have been able to attract.