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A Bristol law firm is planning to move its 600-strong team into a high-tech office being built in the city centre.
Osborne Clarke has signed a deal which will see the firm relocate from Temple Quay to Halo – a green office that will be part of the city’s Finzels Reach development.
The office is being built on the site of the former Avon Fire and Rescue headquarters, and Osborne Clarke has agreed to take nearly two-thirds of the space (74,000 sq ft across five floors) two years ahead of the property’s completion.
The business has signed a 12-year lease at £35.50 per sq ft for four floors and £36.50 per sq ft for the top floor with roof terrace.
Ray Berg, managing partner of Osborne Clarke UK, said: “We’re incredibly excited to have Halo as our new Bristol home. Its standout design and sustainability credentials are a perfect fit for us as we look to invest in a new building that will take us into the future and create an exciting working space for our people and clients.
“Bristol is widely thought of as the UK’s second centre for law and maintaining a strong base in the city will be vital to our business strategy and ongoing success.
“In the time we’ve been on Temple Quay, the firm has grown considerably; we’re now a €300million business. We’ve opened many new offices internationally but remain firmly committed to the UK and Bristol.”
What is Halo?
Halo is a smart Grade A office building of 116,000 sq ft being developed by Cubex and funded by Fiera Real Estate.
It is being constructed across the road from the first phase of Finzels Reach and is set to be one of the greenest office buildings in the UK, according to Cubex.
It will take a similar design approach to office building Aurora, which was also recognised for its stand-out environmental and digital credentials.
Halo features a unique corkscrew-like staircase rising up through a glass atrium, LED lighting, roof-top mounted photovoltaic panels – and even a drone landing pad.
“We are thrilled that Osborne Clarke is on board at Halo so far in advance of the completion of this cutting-edge new office building for Bristol,” said Peter Walford, director at Cubex.
“It’s very exciting to see work on phase two of Finzels Reach forging ahead, with this new deal an important catalyst for the regeneration of this brownfield site in Bristol’s medieval heart.”
Steve Wright, director at Fiera Real Estate, added: “We are delighted to have secured an occupier who shares Fiera Real Estates’ passion to create new buildings that offer superior wellness, sustainability and smart criteria to much of the existing standing stock.”
Knight Frank and Lambert Smith Hampton are the lettings agents on Halo. Morton Property Consultants advised Osborne Clarke on the deal.
The move will see Osborne Clarke join organisations such as Channel 4, Historic England and English Heritage, Simmons & Simmons, Barclays, EDF and Bafta-winning BDH at Finzels Reach.
